1. XENOTRANSPLANTATION The transplantation of an organ or
tissue between members of different species

2. Number of patients on U.S. waiting lists in 1999
Number of patients receiving organ transplants in 1997
Source: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

3. THE CHIMPANZEE
Their DNA sequence differs form ours by only 2%

4. THE BABOON
Its organs are not large enough to adequately support the life of a large adult human

5. THE PIG Easy and cheap to maintain
Surprisingly similar to our anatomy and physiology
Easy and cheap
to maintain
Organs are large enough for a large adult humans

6. KINDS OF REJECTION
Hyperacute Rejection: Extremely rapid. Associated with an attack on the transplanted organ by antibodies.
Acute Vascular Rejection: The immune response travels in the blood to the organ, which invades and destroys.
Chronic Rejection: Slow process. Results from the combination of the effects of the T lymphocytes and the antibodies on the transplanted organ.

7. PREVENTING HYPERACUTE REJECTION
Therapy can be aimed at the recipient by depleting him of the donor’s antibodies using the method of plasma exchange.
Process combined with the administration of immunosuppressive drugs.

8. PREVENTING OTHER KINDS OF REJECTION
Acute Vascular Rejection:
Creation of
transgenic pigs.
Dr. Platt’s experiment.
Chronic Rejection:
No effective treatment yet.

9. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH XENOTRANSPLANTATION
New dimension in the possible transfer of microbes between two species.
Organisms transferred from pigs may not be identifiable by routine laboratory tests.
The infecting microbe might undergo changes in biological behavior or mutational adaptation.
PERVs

10. ALTERNATIVES Artificial organs Increase the number of human donors
Cloning of individual cells as opposed to whole animals

11. SIDE-EFFECTS