Future Systems of Xenotransplantation: Melding Historical and Bioethical Methodology

Abstract

The future of xenotransplantation is promising. However, the scientific process behind xenotransplantation, shown through the methodology of history and bioethics, involves stakeholders beyond the laboratory. We present three short vignettes, the history of a 20th-century pioneer in solid organ transplantation, the xenoheart received by David Bennett, and a global system of illegal organ procurement, to highlight the complexity of biomedical practice. Current solid organ transplantation systems are seemingly unsustainable and ineffective in satisfying a growing global demand for organs. Despite the shortcomings of current systems, we argue that the discourse surrounding xenotransplantation science is insufficient to construct a long-lasting and equitable replacement for solid organ transplantation. Xenotransplantation is more than a surgical technique, an interdisciplinary health concern, or a biomedical technology—it is deeply dependent on a series of cultural, historical, and social factors. Incorporating a greater variety of perspectives and disciplines into ongoing discussions of xenotransplantation science, while potentially frustrating in the short term, will act to maximize its potential as a paradigm-shifting science.