Xenotransplantation: History and Current Advances Part 1 of 2

The necessity for transplantation of living cells from other species, or xenotransplantation, may arise when human donors are not available, a bridge organ is needed, or animal cells can provide a unique benefit to patients. Host Dr. Aaron Carroll's guests are xenotransplantation experts Dr. Paul Helft, director of the Charles Warren Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics at Indiana University Health, and Dr. Joseph Tector, chief of transplant surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. What is the history of xenotransplantation? What donor species are currently the subject of the most promising research in terms of solid organ transplantation and overcoming immunologic barriers and infection? Find out which patients might be the first to benefit.