Xenotransplantation, risk, regulation and surveillance: Social and technological dimensions of change

Abstract

This paper examines xenotransplantation as one specific technique associated with the 'new genetics'. The development of this particular technique is set within the context of emergent regulatory practices that simultaneously confront the national and global dimensions of the technique whilst balancing collective and individual risks and benefits. The adoption of an incremental, and arguably ad hoc, regulatory approach within the UK is assessed in relation to demands for active widespread social participation in the framing and assessment of risks. It is argued that there needs to be a full examination of the risks associated with the technique across a range of time frames before it can be adopted as part of the repertoire of modern medicine. Moreover, the fullest possible mapping of the risk domains to be regulated and managed requires the active involvement of a diverse range of publics. By adopting an extended time-frame approach, it is argued that the claims-making of developers can be set within a more socially grounded context. Such a context requires the inclusion of situated publics, something currently lacking within the UK's approach to regulation.