Considering the Risks and Costs of Solid Organ Xenotransplantation

Abstract

The standard treatment for end-stage organ failure is transplantation, but demand for organs has always vastly outstripped supply. Discussions are ongoing about the feasibility of addressing the organ shortage through measures like increasing organ donations, improving post-transplant outcomes, and xenotransplantation. This paper examines the rationale, risks, and costs of xenotransplantation, such as xenozoonoses, creating a new form of industrialized animal farming, abandoning animal ethics principles, and the opportunity costs of investing finite research dollars in xenotransplantation instead of investing in more viable strategies. Alternative strategies that can ethically and effectively address the demand for heart, kidney, and other transplants are recommended: Improving disease prevention and management to reduce demand for transplant organs, improving transplantation methods, and systemic changes to donor policies and organ recovery methods to increase overall supply. Upon careful exploration of the full landscape of organ transplantation, it is considered whether these alternative strategies that do not impose the definite harms and significant risks of xenotransplantation are the most ethical and effective means to increase life-saving options and improve clinical outcomes for patients in organ failure.