Xenogeneic transplantation

Abstract

Hyperacute rejection, the previously insurmountable obstacle to pig-to-human xenografts, has been overcome. There is reason to hope that concerted research will overcome the remaining obstacles. Pigs will be produced expressing other regulators of complement activation molecules in addition to decay accelerating factor. Modification of antigenic structure of cells could also be achieved. There is now some hope that large scale clinical xenotransplantation could become a reality.