title: Current progress in xenotransplantation and organ bioengineering.
abstract: Organ transplantation represents a unique method of treatment to cure people with end-stage organ failure. Since the first successful organ transplant in 1954, the field of transplantation has made great strides forward. However, despite the ability to transform and save lives, transplant surgery is still faced with a fundamental problem the number of people requiring organ transplants is simply higher than the number of organs available. To put this in stark perspective, because of this critical organ shortage 18 people every day in the United States alone die on a transplant waiting list (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, http://organdonor.gov/about/data.html). To address this problem, attempts have been made to increase the organ supply through xenotransplantation and more recently, bioengineering. Here we trace the development of both fields, discuss their current status and highlight limitations going forward. Ultimately, lessons learned in each field may prove widely applicable and lead to the successful development of xenografts, bioengineered constructs, and bioengineered xeno-organs, thereby increasing the supply of organs for transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich D-81377, Germany. Electronic address: sebastian.michel@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Maria Lucia L
authors.initials: MLL
authors.lastname: Madariaga
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Division of Surgery, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: kumaran.shanmugarajah@tbrc.mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Kumaran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shanmugarajah
mesh_terms: D057005:Bioengineering / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Bioengineering; Organ shortage; Xenotransplantation