Open AccessThe Road to Clinical Xenotransplantation: A Worthwhile Journey
Author(s) -
David T. Cooke,
Anthony D. Caffarelli,
Robert C. Robbins
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.45
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1534-6080
pISSN - 0041-1337
DOI - 10.1097/01.tp.0000142609.97203.ec
Subject(s) - xenotransplantation , beneficence , biobank , limiting , informed consent , medicine , autonomy , engineering ethics , bioethics , transplantation , political science , law , alternative medicine , bioinformatics , surgery , biology , pathology , mechanical engineering , engineering
Xenotransplantation carries numerous ethical dilemmas. In the Position Paper of the Ethics Committee of the International Xenotransplantation Association, Sykes et al. diagram important ethics issues including respect for clinical subjects characterized by proper informed consent, and beneficence to the patient and the community at large, highlighting the possible risk of porcine endogenous retroviruses and xenotourism. We propose optimizing informed consent to take into account the psychological, scientific, and ethical nuances of xenotransplantation. Moreover, regulation of xenotourism should mirror established U.S. guidelines for visitors with communicable diseases, thereby not limiting the rights of xenotransplant recipients.