Ann. Méd. Vét., 2003, 147 (3), pp 147 - 157 XenotransplantationDehoux J.P., Gianello P.Abstract :
The increasing shortage of human organs for purposes of transplantation has become the critical limiting factor in the number of transplants performed each year. Xenotransplantation -- the transplantation of organs between species, namely the pig to human -- could provide a solution if immunologic and other physiological, infectious or ethical problems could be solved. When a pig organ is transplanted into a primate, hyperacute rejection, induced by natural anti-pig antibody and mediated by complement develops rapidly. This immediate problem can now be overcome, but the return or the persistence of anti-pig antibody leads to acute vascular xenograft rejection, which leads to destruction of the organ within days or weeks. The preliminary results from transgenic galacto-syltransferase knock out gene are awaited and whether it will be possible to prevent this rejection process remains unknown. Get the PDF Contact person : dehoux@chex.ucl.ac.be |