Xeno: The Promise of Transplanting Animal Organs Into Humans - Hardcover

Cooper, David K. C.; Lanza, Robert P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195128338 ISBN 13: 9780195128338

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

The majority of patients in need of organ transplants do not survive long enough for a suitable human organ to become available. Xenotransplantation, the transplant of animal organs into humans, has attracted substantial media attention. If, as appears likely, it proves possible to "humanize" animal organs and evade the problems of rejection, in the coming few years there will be a tremendous increase in this procedure, mostly using organs from animals specifically for their harvestable organs. This book will lay out the potential and promise of the technique, the history of organ transplantation, the technical problems and breakthroughs in overcoming immune rejection, and typing and humanizing donor organs for transplantation. The ethical question of growing animals specifically for organ harvest, and the substantial public health concern from the certainty that animal viruses will pass into humans with the donated organs, will be fully discussed. The authors are among the leaders in the field of Xenotransplantation.

About this title

Review:

If you are what you eat, what do you become after accepting a pig heart transplant? Physicians David K.C. Cooper and Robert P. Lanza examine this question and more in Xeno: The Promise of Transplanting Animal Organs Into Humans. They're on the cutting edge of this long-desired procedure, working for Harvard Medical School and Advanced Cell Technology, respectively, and look carefully at the scientific, ethical, legal, economic, and political issues appended to the promise of nearly unlimited organs and tissues for the needy. Ever since doctors transplanted monkey glands into elderly men--to questionable effect--early in the century, the prospect of using healthy animal organs to replace our own has fascinated and frustrated the medical profession, which has a long-standing joke that xenotransplantation is the future of medicine, and always will be.

Cooper and Lanza present compelling arguments that this future might literally come tomorrow, with advances in genetic engineering and sensitive immunological hacking that could extend the lives of transplant patients many years without the use of cruelly immunosuppressive medications. Some problems are a bit bizarre-pigs might have to be exercised regularly for their hearts to be in good condition for transplant, and will have to live in such pristine, germ-free conditions that several major religions might have to reconsider the pig's status as an unclean animal. With animal rights crusaders, technophobic alarmists, and uncertain patients to contend with in addition to challenging immunological and physiological problems, transplant surgeons have their work cut out for them, but the authors of Xeno are optimistic that pigs will soon replace dogs as man's best friend. --Rob Lightner

Review:

"Anyone who wants to know about xenotransplantation should certainly read Cooper and Lanza's excellent book. It is comprehensive and well argued, highly readable and informative." (Times Literary Supplement)

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0195128338
• ISBN 13: 9780195128338
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 300