Video Information
On October 21, 2021, AP (Associated Press) televised a report on a recent experiment in which a genetically modified pig kidney was externally attached to a human body and continued to function without being rejected.
On July 14, 2018, Freethink televised a segment explaining the scientific work being done to develop a chimera, that is host animals, some of whose organs had been genetically engineered so that they were designed to be safely transplanted into a specific human being.
On September 9, 2020, FuseSchool televised a segment treating the history, effectiveness and ethics of organ transplants. Please note, this video deals only with human to human transplants; however, much of the material is also relevant to animal to human transplantation.
On January 15, 2022, Midlife Crisis televised a half-hour segment focusing on the recent pig heart transplant into a human being. The segment discusses in detail the history of transplantation, the reasons for it, the mechanics of transplantation and some of the ethical considerations.
On September 2, 2020, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) televised a brief segment showing a baboon who had been experimentally given a modified pig's heart in a transplant experiment.
On September 17, 2016, Al Jazeera televised a segment on chimeras, genetically modified animals intended to grow organs for human beings. This segment looks at the techniques involved and considers some of the ethical issues raised.
On October 3, 2020, Interesting Engineering televised a segment explaining some of the recent developments in 3D bioprinting.
On March 3, 2016, The Feed SBS televised a segment on the growing qualities of illegal tobacco or chop-chop being imported into Australia as the cost of cigarettes rises.
On November 17, 2016, KBS News televised a segment on the work being done in Korea transplanting organs between different species of animal.
On April 14, 2019, ABC News televised a segment showing the number of Australians who going overseas to buy organs for transplantation. This is said to be in response to long waiting lists for organs.
On November 14, 2013, NBC5-WPTZ News televised a segment on the donor organ shortage in the United States.
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Should animal organs and tissues be used for human transplants?
- Web links, documents and video clips
On January 22, 2022, ABC News published a report titled 'Pig heart transplants: ethics, regulations and why we shouldn't expect to see them in Australia soon'
The report gives the point of view of a range of Australian bioethicists on the ethics of animal to human organ transplantation. The article also notes the quarantine regulations which would prevent Australia importing the genetically modified pigs necessary for these transplants.
The full text can be accessed at 
On January 19, 2022, the World Economic Forum published a detailed report titled 'In a medical first, a gene-edited pig heart has been transplanted into a human patient'. The article explains the gene-editing used to help prevent organ rejection and discusses some of the ethical issues the procedure raises.
The full text can be accessed at
On January 14, 2022, Nature Magazine published an article titled 'First pig-to-human heart transplant: what can scientists learn?'
The article examines the ethical implications of offering a human patient an experimental procedure and considers some of the practical and cost factors that currently restrict the use of pig organs.
The full text can be accessed at
On January 14, 2022, RGA (Reinsurance Group of America) published a report by Hilary Henly, a global medical researcher, titled 'Xenotransplantation - The Future of Organ Transplants in Humans'. The report promotes the future benefits to be derived from animal organ transplants. It details the early history of xenotransplantation and some of the gene-editing processes required to make it successful.
The full text can be accessed at
On January 12, 2022, Deseret News published an opinion piece titled '"I want to live" - Why even in an age of animal rights, human beings come first' The piece discusses why in the most recent ground-breaking case of the transplantation of a pig's heart into a human recipient, the human life takes precedence. However, it argues that animal welfare considerations remain important.
The full text can be accessed at
On January 11, 2022, BBC News published a report titled 'Three ethical issues around pig heart transplants'
The report considers some of the ethical considerations raised by the most recent animal to human transplant.
The full text can be accessed at
On November 1, 2021, Forbes published an article titled 'A Big Step Forward In Solving The Organ Shortage'
The article gives an overview of the work, especially in the area of genetic modification, over the last 35 years to produce pigs whose organs are suitable for transplantation into human beings.
The full text can be accessed at
On October 28, 2021, Vox published a discussion titled 'Is it okay to harvest pig kidneys to save human lives?'
The piece addresses the questions, 'Is it morally justifiable to slaughter thousands of pigs annually to keep humans alive? And is it more morally justifiable than other methods that could also end the kidney shortage?'
The full text can be accessed at
On October 21, 2021, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) updated a previous publication titled 'Pigs Aren't Spare Parts! PETA Slams Latest Organ 'Transplant' Stunt as Junk Science'. The piece was originally prompted by an experiment involving attaching a pig's kidney to a dead human body attached to life-support. It was updated to address the later transplantation of a pig's heart into a living human recipient. It outlines PETA's objections to both procedures.
The full text can be accessed at
On April 3, 2019, The Guardian published a report titled 'Using animal organs in humans: "It's just a question of when"' The report details the gene-editing techniques employed to prevent rejection and infection when transplanting pig organs into a human recipient.
The full text can be accessed at
In June 2018, Stanford Medicine published an article titled 'Growing human organs:
Caution surrounds the use of animals to solve donor shortages' This article considers the work currently being done to grow subject-specific human organs with animals such as pigs, that used the genetic material of the human recipient.
This work is highly experimental, and the article discusses some of the practical and ethical considerations it raises.
On December 14, 2011, The Conversation published a report by Peter Cowan
co-director of the Immunology Research Centre, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. The report is titled 'Xenotransplantation: using pigs as organ and tissue donors for humans'. The report explains why pigs have been preferred over primates as sources of organs for human transplants.
The full text can be accessed at
In 2008, Bio (Biotechnology Innovation Organization) published a summary paper titled 'XENOTRANSPLANTATION: The Benefits and Risks of Special Organ Transplantation'
The article supplies a brief history of xenotransplantation, considers appropriate animals for transplantation and ways of addressing the risk of rejection and infection. It also considers several ethical issues raised by the process.
The full text can be accessed at
In June 2004, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Xenotransplantation released a draft report titled 'Informed Consent in Clinical Research Involving Xenotransplantation'. The document details the protocols needed to protect the rights of human patients and subjects at the same time as allowing researchers to work to develop cures.
The full text can be accessed at
On March 30, 2001, PBS current affairs program Frontline televised the first of two episodes titled 'Organ Farm' which supplied detailed information from all both sides of the issue on attempts to use transplants of animal organs and tissues to treat human recipients.
A transcript of the programs can be accessed at
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