Xenotransplantation: the good, the bad, and the ugly or how far are we to clinical application?
On the way to successful clinical XTP many obstacles have to be overcome, and new difficulties might still arise. For clinical XTP all "players of the concert" have to harmonize. It is not enough if one molecule is recognized by its receptor. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link; this is also true for xenogeneic immunology, physiology, and pharmacology. The phylogeneic distance between man and pig comprises 180 million years. This tremendous distance has to be bridged by new and still unknown methods to outwit evolution.
Hammer
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Institute for Surgical Research, University of Munich, Munich, Germany. hammer@ICF.med.uni-nuenchen.de
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*