Xenotransplantation — A special case of One Health

Abstract

The chronic shortage of human transplants to treat tissue and organ failure has led to the development of xenotransplantation, the transplantation of cells, tissues and organs from another species to human recipients. For a number of reasons, pigs are best suited as donor animals. Successful, routine xenotransplantation would have an enormous impact on the health of the human population, including the young, who sometimes require a replacement organ or islet cells, but especially the elderly, who more often suffer the consequences of organ failure. The first form of xenotransplantation applied to humans is the use of pig islet cells to treat insulin-dependent diabetes, a procedure that will have a significant economic impact. However, although xenotransplantation using pig cells, tissues and organs may save and prolong the lives of patients, it may also be associated with the transmission of porcine microorganisms to the recipient, eventually resulting in emerging infectious diseases. For this reason, the health of both the donor animals and the human recipients represents a special and sensitive case of the One Health concept. Basic research leading to strategies how to prevent transmission of porcine microorganisms by selection of virus-free animals, treatment of donor pigs by antiviral drugs, vaccines, colostrum deprivation, early weaning, Caesarean delivery, embryo transfer and/or gene editing should be undertaken to supply an increasing number of potential recipients with urgently required transplants. The methods developed for the detection and elimination of porcine microorganisms in the context of xenotransplantation will also contribute to an improvement in the health of pig populations in general and an increase in the quality of meat products. At present, there is evidence for transmission of porcine viruses to humans eating pork and having contact with pigs, however the impact of these viruses on public health is still unknown.

Barriers toward xenotransplantation in Arab World

“…100 Development of strategies to detect in donors and recipients, prevent and treat potential zoonosis is necessary for the safety of xenotransplantation. 93,106,108,109 In the study done by AL-Eitan et al, 110 One Health concept has only been applied to rabies in Egypt and to MERS COV in Saudi Arabia, however it has been absent in other aspect and other countries of the Middle East. In the absence of One health application in countries of Middle East, xenotransplantation's risk of zoonosis remains a special concern in the former countries.…”

Hepatitis E virus (HEV)—The Future

“…The elimination of HEV from pigs, other animals, and humans is consistent with the One Health concept, preventing subclinical infections in animals as well as preventing transmission and disease in humans. In this context, xenotransplantation holds a special place in the One Health concept, where the health of the donor pigs is important for the health of the transplant recipient [90]. The sensitive methods developed to detect porcine viruses including HEV and the elimination programs developed for the donor pigs for xenotransplantation can also be applied to eliminate HEV from pigs produced for food.…”

Modern Biotechnology for Agricultural Development in Colombia

“…As a result of their memorable contribution and of Kary Mullis's development that enabled the amplification of DNA in a test tube (polymerase chain reaction) [33], research in biological sciences was revolutionized and the foundations were laid so that in the 1970s, what we know today as modern biotechnology could emerge, involving the utilization of recombinant microorganisms for manufacturing highly valued proteins and peptides for biopharmaceutical applications [34]. Today, the potential of modern biotechnology is widely known, which makes use of recombinant DNA technology to geneti-cally modify microorganisms, plants, and animals, with the goal of making them more suitable for a myriad of potential applications [35], [36], including improved agricultural products [37], the production of new antibiotics and hormones [38], [39], xenotransplantation [40], gene therapy [41], bioremediation [42], and the most recent technique: genome editing [43]. As a result of all this potential, it has generated a protocol to guarantee adequate protection in the sphere of activities involving the safe transference, manipulation, and utilization of living organisms modified using modern biotechnology, which may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity [36].…”