Xenotransplantation for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes

Introduction Throughout human history there have been periods when what was considered mere whimsy, the fruit of a fantastic imagination, becomes real. These situations challenge and change our ideas of what is considered normal and moral. The emerging concept of xenotransplantation presents challenges, but also opportunities to potentially cure many diseases that otherwise have no treatments or limited treatments. Xenotransplantation is the transfer of an organ, tissue, or cells from one species to a different species. Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of an organ or tissue from one species to a different species, and here xenotransplantation refers to the transplantation from a non-human species into a human being. It is curious to consider that in the earliest tales of many cultures we can find the idea of bringing together different animal body parts into one; take for example the Chimera presented in Homer’s The Odyssey. The Chimera is an animal consisting of the head of a lion fused to parts of a goat and a dragon. Currently, medical science is presenting the very real possibility that people could receive organs transplanted from pigs. In this way, we are witnessing the realization of the Chimera in the form of xenotransplantation.      
Source: ActionBioscience - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news