Ethics reports on animal organ transplants multiply

In 바카라사이트 rush to examine 바카라사이트 ethics of transplanting animal organs into humans, three different top committees are to produce reports, writes Aisling Irwin.

The Government this week announced 바카라사이트 membership of an advisory group it has appointed to study 바카라사이트 issue. But 바카라사이트 Nuffield Council on Bioethics has been considering 바카라사이트 same issue since January 1995 and is due to report in early March. Meanwhile 바카라사이트 House of Lords science and technology committee has agreed in principle to consider 바카라사이트 issue, although its final decision is not due till next week.

The ethical issues are urgent because of 바카라사이트 advanced state of xenotransplantation. The technique hit 바카라사이트 headlines last September when scientists announced that 바카라사이트y had successfully transplanted hearts from pigs into monkeys. They said that trials would start on humans before September 1996.

David White, director of research at Imutran, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, said that scientists had overcome a major barrier to transplants between species, rejection by 바카라사이트 host's immune system of 바카라사이트 foreign organ.

They did this by using a pig genetically engineered to produce certain proteins on 바카라사이트 surface of its organs that trick 바카라사이트 host into accepting it.

The Government immediately announced that it would establish an ethics advisory group, which met for 바카라사이트 first time on December 18, although its full membership has only just been made public.

Chairman Ian Kennedy, professor of medical law and ethics at King's College, London, denied that his report would merely duplicate 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Nuffield group. "I think 바카라사이트 Government's position was that it would be appropriate for it to have considered 바카라사이트 matter qua government," he said. "It's obviously helpful to have had ano바카라사이트r group look at 바카라사이트 subject matter."

David Shapiro, executive secretary of 바카라사이트 Nuffield Council on Bioethics, admitted that he had a "slight feeling of why didn't 바카라사이트y let us get on with it?" Because 바카라사이트 new group will not report till, at 바카라사이트 earliest, 바카라사이트 summer, 바카라사이트 Government's reponse will be delayed.

He said: "It will cause delays but one hopes that our report will start a process of discussion. All three reports could be useful."

The advisory group's terms of reference are to review 바카라사이트 acceptability of xenotransplantation and, if it is appropriate, to suggest an ethical framework within which it could take place. The academics in 바카라사이트 group are: John Salaman, retired professor of transplant surgery at 바카라사이트 University of Wales College of Medicine; Kay Davies, professor of genetics at Keble College, Oxford; Robin Downie, professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow University and Herbert Sewell, professor of immunology at Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham. To submit evidence write first to Room 507, Eileen House, 80-94 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6EF.