Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics

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Animal-to-Human Transplants : the ethics of xenotransplantation Pancreatic islet cells The islets of Langerhans are groups of cells found in the pancreas which produce the hormones insulin and glucagon that control blood sugar levels. One cause of diabetes is when the islet cells do not make enough insulin, leading to high levels of blood sugar. Human pancreatic islet cells can be transplanted into patients in order to treat diabetes. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to transplant pig fetal pancreatic islets (Table 3.1). Patent A patent is a monopoly right, granted for a limited period, given to an inventor in return for the publication to the world at large of the details of an invention (paragraphs 4.53 - 4.54). Pathogen An infectious organism that causes disease (paragraphs 6.29 - 6.30). Principle of precaution The principle of precaution offers a method of risk analysis and assessment. It requires that action should be taken to avoid risks in advance of certainty about their nature and suggests that the burden of proof should lie with those developing the technology to demonstrate that it will not cause serious harm (paragraphs 6.20 - 6.23). Prion A prion is a small particle made of protein that is thought to cause a type of disease called spongiform encephalopathy. Examples are, in cattle, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease) and, in human beings, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The diseases lead to degeneration of the central nervous system. Prions are unusual because they appear to be a unique example of an infectious agent that does not contain genetic material. Protein A protein is a particular kind of molecule made up of sub-units called amino-acids. Each cell contains many different kinds of proteins, each with a different function. Muscle cells contain large quantities of two types of protein called actin and myosin (this is why lean meat is a good source of protein). Another example of a protein is DAF, the complement regulating protein found on human cells that stops the immune system attacking the body’s own cells. Every protein must be manufactured from the amino-acids that make it up. The information controlling this process is contained in the gene corresponding to that protein. So there is a gene containing the information for the actin protein, and a different gene containing the information for the DAF protein. Recombination A form of mutation in which two viruses exchange genetic material, resulting in the production of new viruses, which may have different characteristics (paragraph 6.9.4). 140
Annex E : Glossary Retrovirus A type of virus that contains RNA as its genetic material. The HIV virus that causes AIDS is an example of a retrovirus. After a retrovirus has infected a cell, the process of reproduction involves conversion into DNA. The DNA is inserted into the genetic material of the host cell. RNA is then made and used to produce new viruses. RNA RNA (ribonucleic acid) is similar to DNA in structure, but it performs a different function in living cells. Certain viruses contain RNA, not DNA. Examples are the virus that causes polio and the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The HIV virus is a particular type of RNA virus called a retrovirus. Source animal An animal from which organs or tissue are taken for transplantation into a human being. Species A species is a group of individuals that share the same or similar characteristics and which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Specified-pathogen free The term used to describe an organism from which certain pathogens, or infectious organisms, have been eliminated (paragraphs 6.29 - 6.30). T-cell T-cells are white blood cells that produce a cell-mediated immune response. Killer T-cells directly attack cells bearing foreign antigens, ultimately killing them (paragraph 3.14). Tissue A tissue is a collection of similar cells that all perform the same function. An example is the neural tissue of the brain. Bone is a type of tissue where the cells are surrounded by hard deposits. Tissues may group together to form organs (paragraph 1.9). Transgenesis This refers to the introduction of a foreign gene into an animal or other organism. The transferred gene is called a transgene (paragraphs 3.26 - 3.28 and 4.45 - 4.49). Transplantation Transplantation involves the removal of organs, tissue or cells from one organism and their implantation into another organism (paragraph 3.8). 141
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NUFFIELD COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS Anima
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Preface Preface Since the N
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Table of contents Table of contents
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Working Party on Xenografts Working
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Summary of recommendations Summary
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Summary of recommendations Effects
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The promise and the problems Chapte
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Alternatives to xenotransplantation
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Xenotransplantation</strong
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Animal concerns : principles Chapte
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Transmission of infectious diseases
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Early patients outcomes associated
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Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics

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