Download Dorado 1 Dora Dorado Mrs. Minor Pre AP English 10 March 8, 2009

Dorado 1
Dora Dorado
Mrs. Minor
Pre AP English 10
March 8, 2009
Xenotransplantation: Miracle Procedure or Deadly Disaster?
The HIV virus has killed approximately 18 million people worldwide. Scientists believe
that this deadly virus actually originated in primates and crossed the species barrier to plague
humans. This is an example of what can happen when a human contracts a virus from an animal.
Now a new procedure threatens to introduce to humans a whole new strain of virus with effects
that surpass those of HIV. It is known as a xenotransplant, or the transplanting of an animal organ
into a human. Researches have found that “an inherited pig virus, apparently harmless and passed
from parent to piglet, lurks within inside pig kidney cells”(Weiss 65). From there, the virus can
be transmitted to other humans and start an epidemic. Aside from being extremely dangerous,
xenotransplants are also expensive and have a high failure rate. Since the outcome is so tenuous,
xenotransplant researchers are wasting our country’s valuable money that could be better spent
developing more effective ways to deal with the organ shortage. Although xenotransplants could
possibly reduce the demand for human organs, they are far too costly, dangerous, and unreliable
to use.
Supporters of xenotransplants claim that both xenotransplants and human-to-human
transplants cost relatively the same amount, but this is not the case. While the actual transplant is
not much more expensive, there are several other factors that alter the total cost of a
xenotransplants. According to William Rise, chief surgeon at Stanford Medical Center, the cost is
“$250,000 per operation in 1995, not including the hidden cost of breeding, housing, feeding,
medication, transporting, rendering, and disposing of waste and remains of herds of transgenic
animals”(qtd in Fano). Clearly, xenotransplants do not save money.
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Even if xenotransplants were cost effective in the short run, they could have long-term
costs. Viruses crossing from animal to human could prove to be a potentially devastating
problem. Many researchers have observed that pig viruses infect human cells when mixed in a
petri dish. For example, research cited in Business Week reports that “last month, researchers at
London’s Institute of Cancer Research reported that a virus found in pig cells had crossed over
and infected human cells- an event doctors had thought unlikely”(Baker 138). This means that if a
patient receives a transplant from an infected animal, the virus will cross over. Like it did with
HIV, the virus will jump the species barrier, as it has already done with human cells. Therefore,
the danger of a virus should not be considered mere speculation. It does not matter if even one
recipient is infected; the result will be the same. The virus could be spread to other humans and
create an epidemic. According to Jonathan Allan, a virologist at the Southwest Foundation for
Biomedical Research, “it only takes one transmission from one baboon to a human to start an
epidemic. There’s no way you can make it safe”(qtd. in Gorman 59). The more operations that
are performed, the greater the likelihood of an epidemic. It is even possible that humans have
already been introduced to the virus, because according to Dr. Wise, “new animal viruses could
remain dormant for months or years before being detected”(Fano). There is too great danger to
continue research.
In addition to their great danger, xenotransplant researchers often argue that it is the patient’s
choice whether or not to have a transplant, but this procedure would negatively effect the general
population. According to chief epidemiologist Niles Kendicott, if a xenotransplant patient were to
contract an animal virus, it “might become airborne, infecting scores of people and causing a
potentially deadly viral epidemic”(qtd. in Fano). The consequences of unleashing a deadly virus
on the population of the world are extremely dangerous, because “once a disease organism
becomes established in the recipient the potential for transmission to caregivers, family, and the
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population at large must also be considered a real threat”(Federal Guidelines Needed). A patient
on an organ-waiting list should not have the right to infect many other people, including loved
ones, with a lethal virus. Since the general population is at risk for contracting a virus, choosing
to receive a xenotransplants goes beyond the right of the patient himself.
Even the notion that we can control viruses with the proper surveillance is short-sited. The
animals would be raised in a sterile environment, but that would not matter, because as Dr.
Kendicott explains, “It’s not possible to have completely pathogen-free animals… some potential
infectious agents are passed in the genome and other may be passed transplancentally”(qtd. in
Fano). This means that no amount of screening will totally eliminate every animal virus because
just as no human is virus-free, no animal is either. Jonathan Allan, chief surgeon at Johns
Hopkins, echoes Kendicott’s concerns, and adds “there is no way of knowing how many other
baboon viruses media science hasn’t discovered yet; and there is clearly no way to screen for
them”(qt. in Gorman). Even if scientists were able to develop a very strict screening process,
there would always be a few undiscovered viruses that would be undetected. It is also impossible
to monitor xenotransplants recipients because the virus might be undetectable for years. It is
important to realize that according to a recent study on the ethics of xenotransplantation that
“lethal viruses are not readily detectable until they are transmitted into humans—often with
devastating results” (Berger, Panel II). The idea of creating a database to screen all patients who
have received a transplant will not work because by the time the virus has been found, it will
already have infected many other people. Xenotransplants are uncontrollable, and there is no way
to make them safe.
On the surface, is might appear that the xenotransplants would be valuable for the organ
shortage in the U.S., but they are not a solution to the problem. They are extremely unreliable,
considering that “there have been some 55 animal-to-human organ transplants attempted since
1906. All have proven unsuccessful” (Fano) Even without the risk of a virus, xenotransplants have
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a very high failure rate and will not help lessen the need for human organs. Consider the case of Jeff Getty,
a man with AIDS, who received baboon cells in an effort to fight off his disease. He did not contract a virus
but “few, if any, of the baboon cells were alive a month after the transplant…even if that step did succeed,
the transplant would have faced other obstacles”(The Getty Transplant). Jeff Getty did not benefit from the
baboon cells because the cells did not survive the transplant. Immunosupressant drugs intended to keep the
human body from rejecting the organ also compromise the immune system , making the patient more
susceptible to viruses. Even though the animals used for transplants are genetically altered, the organ is still
from another species. Naturally the body does not recognize it and rejects it. Researchers have observed
that “whenever pig or monkey organs are transplanted into humans, the human immune system violently
reacts against the foreign organ. Often the transplanted organ disintegrates within seconds in from of the
surgeon’s eyes”(“Moratorium”). No one is actually saved by this procedure because the success rate is very
low.
If the xenotransplants are banned, scientist can spend more time and money developing more
effective ways to increase the number of organ transplants. There are a number of innovations that are
being made in the area of organ transplant. In a few years, with the proper research, xenotransplants may
not even be needed. Scientist should redirect their attentions to experimenting with various ways to lessen
the need to human organs. For example, different surgical techniques and synthetic organ could effectively
and safely take away the need for risky procedures such as xenotransplants. Current programs like health
education and disease prevention, as well as lifestyle changes, have already been proven to prevent heart
disease (Berger, Xenotransplantation). In addition, one possible alternative to xenotransplants is a
Presumed Consent Law. This law requires that upon death a person’s organs will be donated unless she has
already stated other wise. Belgium enacted a Presumed Consent Law in 1986, and since then, “ the total
number of organs available for transplantation increased 183, and has continued to rise” (Berger,
Xenotransplantation). If such a law were enacted in the U.S., organ availability would dramatically
increase. Then xenotransplants wold not be needed at all, and a great deal of money and risks could be
spared. Instead of rushing into xenotransplants, scientist should develop alternative ways to end the organ
shortage.
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When faced with the facts that xenotransplants are costly, dangerous, uncontrollable, and
ineffective, it is clear that the benefits of experimenting with them are far outweighed by the extreme risks
associated with them. If xenotransplants are not banned, our health care system could be badly damaged
and a deadly viral epidemic could result. All research should be immediately stopped before the world is
faced with a new disease that will make even HIV seem tame.
Works Cited
Baker, Stephen. “A Transplant breakthrough … with one big catch” Business Week. 7 April 1997:135-139.
Berger, Alan H. “Panel II- xenotransplantation: the Ethics. The science, the Risk of Animal to Human.
Transmission, and Implications for the IACUC” [online] http://www.api4animals.org/xeno2.html.
15 March 1996.
Berger. Alan H “Xenotransplantation: A Hasty Answer to the Chronic Need for Replacement Organs”
[online] http://www.api4animals.org/xeno3.html. 17 February 1998.
Fano. Alix, M.A “Of Pigs, Primates, and Plagues” [online] http://www.mrmcmed.org/summary.html. Mar.
1998.
“Federal guidelines Needed to Ensure Safety in Animal-to-Human Transplants.” Institute of Medicine
News, [online] http://www2.nas.edu/whatsnew/24f6.html, 17 July 1996.
“The Getty Transplant, What Could Go wrong?” [online] http://news.wisc.edu/007 transplant/getty2.html,
27 January 1998.
Gorman, Christine. “Are Animal Organs Safe for People?” Time, 15 January 1996: 58-59.
“Moratorium on Xenotransplantation!” [online] http://www.peg.apc.org/~acfgenet/update/hgexeno.html ,
11 April 1996.
Weiss, Rick. “Pig Transplants Dangerous?” Washington Post. July 19, 1998: 66-74.