Here are some key pros and cons of xenotransplantation:
Pros:
- It could help address the shortage of organs available for transplant from human donors. The number of people waiting for organ transplants far exceeds the number of organs available each year. Pigs could serve as an alternative organ source.
- Genetically engineered pigs could be bred to have organs less likely to be rejected by the human immune system. This could greatly increase transplant success rates.
- It may speed up the development of new medical treatments if animal testing on pigs provides a closer model to the human body than testing on rodents.
Cons:
- There is a risk that viruses or pathogens could be transmitted from the animal organs to human