Xenotransplantation for Renal Failure Patients: Evolution of Strategies

Although renal transplantation (RT) has improved quality of life and survival, organ shortage has led to expansion of waiting list and premature deaths. Over 100000 patients in the United States, similar number worldwide and over 7000 patients in the United Kingdom are waiting for RT. This has encouraged scientists to explore animals, xenotransplantation, as an alternative source of unlimited organ supply over the past three decades to overcome the chronic shortage of deceased and living human donors [1]. Successful xenotransplantation would eliminate the effects of brain death, ischaemia-reperfusion injury associated with prolonged preservation time and offer a potential for customise the donor organ before transplantation [2, 3]. However, successful clinical xenotransplant programme has not yet been established due to several physiological, immunological and microbial barriers besides ethical considerations.