Prospect and Challenges of Xenotransplantation: A Review

Abstract

Background and Aims - The shortage of organs for transplantation has been a critical issue, leaving many patients with life-threatening conditions on waiting lists with little hope. Xenotransplantation have the potential to provide hope for patients with organ failure, offering them a chance at extended and improved quality of life. However, no single study satisfactorily evaluated the health outcome of xenotransplantation strategies. There is the lack of gold standard limit evaluation for xenotransplantation. This review aimed to address the shortage of organs for transplantation by utilizing tissue organs from animals in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses extension for Scoping Review (PRISMAScR) guideline. Published english-language studies in electronic data bases included PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were retrieved using specific search themes such as organ transplantation OR xenotransplantation OR xenograft AND immune responses. In this study, xenotransplantation provided hope for patients with organ failure, offering them a chance to live with improved quality of life. Despite the numerous advantages that could accrue to humans when xenografting becomes a clinical success, there are a lot of risks that are associated with xenotransplantation. The high level of immunosuppressive drugs needed to overcome immune rejection may be counterproductive, leaving the patient susceptible to other infections. Modifying xenotransplantation to suit individual patient’s needs through genetic modification could reduce the risk of graft rejection. In addition, research in xenotransplantation in fields like immunology, genetics, and biotechnology could lead to a profound understanding of the human immune system.