XENOTRANSPLANTATION

What is it? Xenotransplantation involves genetically altering animals, so that their organs may be "harvested" and placed in human bodies. Obviously, this objectifies animals, turning them into no more than medical appliances. Is it morally right to create a life with the sole purpose of destroying it? Are humans *really* that much more important than animals? Xenotransplantation is getting a little too close to reality, with a few too many important questions still needing answers. Pigs and non-human primates are among those being worked with, because their genetic makeup is already so similar to humans'. The animals' genetic makeup is altered so that they become, in fact, part human and part animal. Sounds like something only a horror novelist could concoct. Unfortunately, it is an all too real attempt to keep human immune systems from rejecting non-human organs/tissues. Research on xenotransplantation started in 1905, and because of numerous mistakes, has caused suffering to both humans and animals. Good Points From the Counsel for Responsible Transplantation "Ironically, it is precisely because people eat too many pigs, and have unhealthy lifestyles, that pig organ transplants are being considered. A large majority of heart, liver, and kidney transplants could be prevented if people reduced their meat, (and alcohol and tobacco consumption). We should ask whether it is acceptable to make pigs and other nonhuman animals scapegoats for our species' self-destructive behaviors." "Transplanting living animal organs into humans circumvents the natural barriers (such as skin and gastrointestinal tract) that prevent infection, thereby facilitating the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans. Many animal viruses have the ability to jump species barriers and kill humans. Viruses that are harmless to their animal hosts, can be deadly when transmitted to humans. For example, Macaque herpes is harmless to Macaque monkeys, but lethal to humans. There is no way to screen for viruses that are not yet known. Proceeding with xenotransplantation could expose patients and non-patients to a host of new animal viruses which could remain dormant for months or years before being detected. Xenotransplantation could thus be viewed as a form of involuntary human experimentation which violates US laws and United Nations charters." At What Cost...? Xenotransplantation is costly already, and it's not even finished yet! Its experimental stages are costing the government and supportive organizations millions of dollars. And it promises to be far more expensive to receive than human-to-human transplantation (estimated at $300,000.00 per operation, plus costs of breeding, houseing, feeding, etc of animals). And who's going to pay for all this? Well, taxpayers are already funding research, and in Canada, it would more than likely also be tax payers who would fund each operation. Can our economy really stand much more of this? Who's Responsible??! List of companies developing it: Alexion Pharmaceuticals Agenix Baxter Healthcare/Nextran Biohybrid Biotransplant Circe Biomedical Cyotherapeutics, Inc. Diacrin Excorp Medical Genzyme Infigen Neocrin Novartis/Imutran Organogenesis, Inc. Sign CRT's online PETITION All information on Xenotransplantation courtesty of the Counsel for Responsible Transplantation