Xenotransplantation and animal welfare

Lebanese medical students' knowledge on and attitude toward xenotransplantation and its ethical issues: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of animal parts into humans. This study's aim is to assess the Lebanese medical students' attitude toward xenotransplantation and their knowledge of its related ethical issues.

METHODS

A questionnaire was answered by 120 Lebanese medical students. Statistical analysis and ethical reflections were performed on the results.

RESULTS

Out of the 120 participants, 100 already knew about xenotransplantation, and 61.7% of the students believe that it is applied clinically. Only 25% trust that the animals need to be genetically modified for the organs to be eligible for transplantation. About 25.8% and 46.7% of the students, respectively, strongly agree that the patients' and physicians' beliefs play an important role in agreeing to the procedure. Students were likely to accept the animal organ for transplantation if the transplant could completely cure or improve the course of an untreatable disease (86.6% and 75.0%) or if the outcomes and risks were the same as with a human transplant with a shorter waiting period (71.7%). Students who agreed that animal rights and welfare/wellbeing should be respected tended to disagree with the statement that it is acceptable to use animals for human ends (p = .026).

CONCLUSION

Medical students proved to be knowledgeable on the ethical dilemmas related to xenotransplantation and showed a favorable attitude toward this procedure, which is crucial in its establishment as an absolute clinical reality in the near future and in the development and strengthening of research in this field.

Outline of a Risk Assessment: The Welfare of Future Xeno-Donor Pigs

The welfare of transgenic animals is often not considered prior to their generation. However, we demonstrate here how a welfare risk assessment can be carried out before transgenic animals are created. We describe a risk assessment identifying potential welfare problems in transgenic pigs generated for future xeno-donation of organs. This assessment is based on currently available information concerning transgenic animal models in which one or more transgenes relevant to future xeno-donation have been inserted. The welfare risk assessment reveals that future xeno-donor pigs may have an increased tendency toward septicaemias, reduced fertility and/or impaired vision. The transgenic animal models used in generating hypotheses about the welfare of xeno-donor pigs can also assist in the testing of these hypotheses. To ensure high levels of welfare of transgenic animals, analogous risk assessments can be used to identify potential welfare problems during the early stages of the generation of new transgenic animals. Such assessments may form part of the basis on which licenses to generate new transgenic animals are granted to research groups.