Xenotransplantáció

Xenotransplantáció refers to the medical practice of transplanting tissues or organs from one species to another. This can involve transplanting organs from animals to humans, a procedure known as xenotransplantation. Alternately, xenotransplantation can involve transplanting human tissues or organs into animals, which is primarily used for medical research purposes.

The main goal of xenotransplantation is to address the shortage of available human organs for transplantation. According to various estimates, there are several million people worldwide waiting for an organ transplant, while the number of available donor organs barely meets the demand. By developing the ability to transplant organs from animals, scientists hope to alleviate this shortage and save many more lives than is currently possible.

Xenotransplantation of organs from pigs is a particularly active area of research. Pigs share a close genetic relationship with humans, which makes their tissues and organs easier to adapt for use in human transplantation. Additionally, pigs are large enough to produce organs of suitable size and complexity for use in human patients. Several roadblocks must be overcome before xenotransplantation can become a reality, including the risk of rejection and the development of lesions or possible malignancies from xenografts.

Research into xenotransplantation has resulted in several breakthroughs in recent years, including the successful transplantation of a pig's heart into a baboon. While meeting significant scientific challenges, xenotransplantation holds promise as a means of alleviating the shortage of human organs available for transplantation. However, much more research is required before this procedure can be safely and effectively applied to human patients.