Creating human organs in chimaera pigs: an ethical source of immunocompatible organs?
New techniques in regenerative medicine may soon enable the creation of human organs inside animals using induced pluripotent stem cells. This technology has the potential to solve the organ scarcity problem by providing a limitless source of personalised organs for transplantation, but also raises several ethical issues, particularly concerning animal welfare, the 'human features' problem and human dignity.
Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Research School GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel.
David
D
Shaw
Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Research School GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Wybo
W
Dondorp
Hubrecht Institute and University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Niels
N
Geijsen
Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Research School GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Guido
G
de Wert
D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D000818:Animals; D002678:Chimera / Q000276:immunology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D028723:Personhood; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D013552:Swine; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000941:ethics / Q000276:immunology; D014850:Waiting Lists; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
Animal Production; Genetic Engineering; Stem Cell Research; Transplantation