Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Xenotransplantation - Nuffield Council on Bioethics
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Animal c<strong>on</strong>cerns : principles<br />
Chapter 4<br />
Animal c<strong>on</strong>cerns : principles<br />
4.1 For many people, the principal ethical problem raised by xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong> will<br />
c<strong>on</strong>cern the relati<strong>on</strong>ship between human beings and other animals. As described in<br />
Chapter 3, xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong> is currently at the research stage. The research<br />
involves the use of animals to provide transplant material and also to act as<br />
experimental recipients of transplants. Should xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong> develop into a<br />
successful clinical procedure it will involve the breeding and killing of animals <strong>on</strong> a<br />
large scale in order to provide organs and tissue for transplantati<strong>on</strong>. In additi<strong>on</strong>, the<br />
use of transgenic pigs for xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong> raises questi<strong>on</strong>s about the genetic<br />
modificati<strong>on</strong> of animals to provide organs and tissue.<br />
4.2 The Working Party was charged with examining the ethical issues raised by the use<br />
of animals specifically for xenografting. As a first step, the arguments for and against<br />
the use of animals for medical purposes in general were reviewed. These arguments<br />
are summarised briefly in the first part of the chapter. The chapter then goes <strong>on</strong> to<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sider whether, even if the use of animals for medical purposes in general is held<br />
to be ethically acceptable, there are particular c<strong>on</strong>cerns about their use for<br />
xenografting. Two issues are discussed:<br />
<br />
<br />
the ethical acceptability of the use, respectively, of primates, and of animals<br />
other than primates, to supply transplant material;<br />
the ethical issues raised by the use of genetically modified animals to provide<br />
organs for xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The use of animals for medical purposes<br />
4.3 Many would endorse the view that animals have interests, particularly in the<br />
avoidance of suffering, that should be respected, but that in certain limited<br />
circumstances those interests may be outweighed by the interests of human beings<br />
provided that everything possible is d<strong>on</strong>e to minimise distress to the animals. In<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sidering the ethical c<strong>on</strong>cerns about the use of animals for xenotransplantati<strong>on</strong>, it<br />
was found necessary to explore this view in more detail. For others hold the opini<strong>on</strong><br />
that all use of animals by human beings for medical purposes is wr<strong>on</strong>g, no matter<br />
how great the benefits. The view that there should be an absolute prohibiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />
the use of animals for medical purposes is a minority positi<strong>on</strong> within UK society. It<br />
meets an equally c<strong>on</strong>scientiously held view that, in certain circumstances, it is<br />
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