Transplantation of the hearts or lungs of pigs into humans should not be permitted until further research can confirm the safety of such procedures, according to a group of scientists, physicians, and surgeons brought together by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) to review the current status of xenotransplantation and its potential in the treatment of patients with endstage heart and lung diseases.
Clinical trials of such transplants "would be justified and should be encouraged when researchers achieve acceptable results in animal studies, but only if, at that time, experts determine there to be little potential for the spread of animal viruses to humans," ISHLT said in a statement. In agreeing that pig-to-human heart transplants could become feasible within a few years, the researchers set out research goals that they believe should be achieved in a laboratory setting before considering trials in patients.
The group's comprehensive review of xenotransplantation was published in the December issue of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. It lists 12 specific conclusions and 16 recommendations.
Should xenotransplantation be found to be safe, it could offer an alternative to donated human organs, which are in short supply; there would be an unlimited supply of organs and transplants could be scheduled on an elective basis.
The committee called for an ongoing review of the scientific and ethical issues and said that it strongly advocates appropriate oversight of any studies in patients by national regulatory bodies and international organizations such as ISHLT.
The group was cochaired by David K.C. Cooper, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and by ISHLT president Anne Keogh, MB, MD, of St. Vincent's Hospital at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
For Your Information:
The ISHLT website, www.ishlt.org posts links to ISHLT's press release, the full text of the guidelines, the executive summary, and other information at :
www.ishlt.org/pubs_xeno_guidelines.htm
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