What Kinds of Diseases Could Be Treated By Xenotransplantation?
Any disease that is treated by human-to-human transplants could potentially be treated by xenotransplantation. The most likely candidates for xenotransplantation in the near future are people with serious kidney, liver or heart disease, diabetes or Parkinson s disease. People who need bone marrow transplants may also be candidates for this kind of transplant. What diseases might be treated by cellular xenotransplants? Cellular xenotransplants may be a way to treat people who have diabetes, Parkinson s disease or certain other diseases. The treatment would involve replacing specific cells or tissues which do not work properly because of the disease. For diabetics, these are the islet cells of the pancreas, and for someone with Parkinson s disease they would be certain brain cells. In both cases, the cells needed for the transplant are difficult to obtain from human donors. What diseases might be treated by extra-corporeal xenotransplants? People with liver failure might be treated with
