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Absence of transmission of potentially xenotic viruses in a prospective pig to primate islet xenotransplantation study
Author(s) -
Garkavenko Olga,
Dieckhoff Britta,
Wynyard Shaun,
Denner Joachim,
Elliott Robert B.,
Tan Paul L.,
Croxson Margaret C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.21272
Subject(s) - xenotransplantation , virology , biology , endogenous retrovirus , porcine circovirus , virus , transmission (telecommunications) , transplantation , cytomegalovirus , viremia , specific pathogen free , serology , immunology , medicine , antibody , viral disease , herpesviridae , genetics , gene , genome , electrical engineering , engineering
Shortage of human donor organs for transplantation has prompted usage of animals as an alternative donor source. Pigs are the most acceptable candidate animals but issues of xenozoonoses remain. Despite careful monitoring of designated pathogen free pigs there is still a risk that their tissues may carry infectious agents. Thus xenotransplantation requires extensive pre‐clinical study on safety of the graft especially for those viruses that are either potentially oncogenic and/or immunosuppressive, or can establish persistent infection. A prospective pig‐to‐primate islet xenotransplantation study was performed which includes monitoring for potentially xenotic viruses namely porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV), porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV), porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus (PLHV), and porcine circovirus (PCV) using both molecular diagnostic—PCR and RT‐PCR and serology methods. There was no evidence of pig virus transmission into primate recipients. This preclinical study underlines the information concerning viral safety of islet cell xenograft in pig‐to‐primate xenotransplantation. J. Med. Virol. 80:2046–2052, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.