According to the oldest official definition [1]xenotransplantation is any procedure involving the transplantation, implantation, or infusion into a human recipient of either (a) living cells, tissues, or organs of non-human animal origin, or (b) human fluids, cells, tissues, or bodies that had contact ex vivo with living cells, tissues or organs of animals other than humans. The development of xenotransplantation is partly due to the fact that the demand for human organs for clinical transplantation far exceeds the supply.

To the extent that hybridization with animals or plants will be encouraged and successful, its main purpose will undoubtedly be to provide material for personalized transplantation, that is, the hybrid will be made with the genetic material of a particular individual, who will thus benefit from the organs, tissues or cells taken from the hybrid, which may or may not cause the death of the hybrid, depending on the nature of the transplant.

A classic example of xenotransplantation is the use of biological material from pigs, especially to harvest compatible organs, after the animal has been genetically modified for compatibility. The pig is genetically close to humans, and with the help of genetic engineering, its genetic matrix has been modified, making it compatible with the human body. Such transplantation is called transgenic. In this sense, mice or other similar mammals are also successfully used.

A lesser-known example is the so-far successful Duke University experiment in which a leaf was used as a human heart [2].

In fact, relatively strict European legislation does not allow all these experiments to become the basis of medical commercial exploitation – which, no doubt, will turn out to be extremely profitable. According to the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers 1399 (1999) on xenotransplantation [3] The Council of Europe laid the groundwork for this legislation by recommending the rapid introduction of legislation in all member states prohibiting any clinical xenotransplantation, as well as assessing the feasibility of developing a second protocol to the European Convention on Human and Biomedical Rights on xenotransplantation. Steps were also recommended to harmonize the ban worldwide, and the European Health Committee and the Bioethics Committee were instructed to work in collaboration with the World Health Organization to develop a strategy to balance ethical, medical, scientific, legal, social and public aspects of xenotransplantation before scientific or medical organizations begin human procedures.

Ethical and legal problems related to determining the nature (human or not) of the recipient of the transplant may arise in this case as well, as research will develop on the role of information transfer (genetic and not only) cells. in organs, transplanted tissues or cells. If future research demonstrates the transmission of information from non-human beings that can influence specifically human abilities to some extent or even decisively, such a redefinition will indeed be required [4].

Another ethical issue may be determining to what extent the slaughter of an animal that has been genetically modified to be compatible with a human host is simply the slaughter of an animal, such as a farm animal, or the killing of an intermediate life form. between animal and man.

Footnotes:

[1] US Food and Drug Administration Official Definition, available online at https://www.fda.gov/BiologicksBloodVaccines/Xenotransplantation/, retrieved 02/14/2015.

[2] See https://www.thedoctorschannel.com/view/can-spinach-leaves-replace-damaged-cardiac-tissue_video_of_the_week/, retrieved 04/03/2023.

[3] Recommendation 1399 (1999) was adopted on 29 January 1999.

[4] See https://ro.amenajari.org/articles/urological-health/xenotransplantation-and-inter-species-kidney-transplants.html, retrieved 04/03/2023.

The article is signed by Veronica Dobozi ([email protected]), partner, STOICA & Associates. ​​​​​​​