Rejection
What is the body’s main response to a foreign organ?
Immune system attack / rejection
What is the term for disease transmission from animals to humans?
Xenozoonosis
What is one ethical concern about using pigs for organs?
Animal welfare / treatment of animals
Why is organ shortage considered a societal issue, not just a medical one?
It affects large populations and healthcare systems
Which type of rejection happens within minutes to hours?
Hyperacute rejection
What type of viruses are found in pig DNA?
PERVs (porcine endogenous retroviruses)
Why might religion have an effect on xenotransplantation?
Some religions restrict or prohibit the use of pigs
Why might xenotransplantation increase inequality in healthcare, specifically in the U.S?
High cost limits access to wealthier patients
What causes acute rejection?
The body produces new antibodies against the organ
Why are animal viruses hard to detect?
They may be unknown or hidden in DNA
Why is it ethically complex to choose the first human recipients?
High risk + uncertainty + potential harm
How could public trust affect whether xenotransplantation becomes widely used?
Low trust could reduce acceptance and slow adoption of the technology
Why is rejection stronger in xenotransplants than human transplants?
Animal organs are more genetically different
What is a major risk of immunosuppressant drugs?
Increased risk of infection
Why does the risk of unknown long-term effects make xenotransplantation ethically challenging?
Patients cannot fully understand or consent to risks that are not yet known
Why would governments regulate xenotransplantation more strictly than regular transplants?
Risk of new diseases affecting the population
Why is it more difficult to match a pig organ to a human immune system than matching two human donors?
There are greater genetic differences, so the immune system recognizes more foreign markers and reacts more strongly
What makes animal viruses especially dangerous in humans?
No immunity + ability to mutate/adapt
What is the hardest trade-off in xenotransplantation?
Saving lives vs ethical/public health risks
Explain how one infected transplant patient could lead to a larger public health crisis.
Virus enters human → adapts → spreads human-to-human → outbreak