Is xenotransplantation a wise use of resources?
Not according to Norman Fost, a prominent expert on medical ethics. Does xenotransplantation breach some kind of innate species barrier? Isn’t there something inherently wrong with adopting organs from another species? On the one hand, humans have been using other animals for food, muscle power and companionship since time immemorial. And animals have provided insulin, skin grafts and heart valves for decades. On the other hand, we’ve always digested their meat, not had it implanted intact into our bodies. There are sure to be some who condemn the use of genetically engineered animals, and our near relatives, for transplant purposes. What about religious strictures? Xenotransplantation from pigs might breach Jewish and Islamic dietary laws which prohibit the consumption of pork. Will it introduce deadly virus from animals to humans? Perhaps, although most virologists say there’s no way to measure the risk. Still, one prominent virologist, who’s worked with AIDS in primates for many yea
