Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Xenotransplantation at a crossroads: Prevention versus progress

Nature Medicine volume 2, pages 18–21 (1996)Cite this article

The infectious disease risks associated with baboon-to-human transplants may represent an insurmountable hurdle in the race to save lives. Yet, public health agencies are relucant to regulate Xenotransplantation in spite of those risks.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Allan, J.S. Xenograft transplantation and the infectious disease conundrum. ILAR J. 37, 37–48 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Allan, J.S. & Michaels, M., Concerns aired over potential new infections. Am. Soc. Micmbiol. News 61, 442–443 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Michaels, M.G. & Simmons, R.L. Xenotransplant-associated zoonoses. Transplantation 57, 1–7 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Fishman, J.A. Miniature swine as organ donors for man: Strategies for prevention of xenotransplant-associated infections. Xenotransplantation 1, 47–57 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hjelle, B. et al. A novel hantavirus associated with an outbreak of fatal respiratory disease in the southwestern United States: Evolutionary relationships to known hantaviruses. J. Virol. 68, 592–596 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Morse, S.S. & Schluederberg, A. Emerging viruses: The evolution of viruses and viral diseases. J. Infect. Dis. 162, 1–7 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Murphy, F.A., New, emerging, and reemerging infectious diseases. Adv. Virus Res. 4, 1–52 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Eberle, R. & Milliard, J. The simian herpesviruses. Infect. Agents Dis. 4, 55–70 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Mone, J.P. et al. Simian T-cell leukemia virus type I infection in captive baboons. AIDS Res. Hum. Retrovir. 8, 1653–1661 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kalter, S.S. Observations of apparent C-type particles in baboon (Papio cynocephalus) placentas. Science 179, 1332–1333 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Flugel, R.M. Spumaviruses: A group of complex retroviruses. J. AIDS 4, 739–750 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chapman, L.E. et al. Xenotransplantation and xenogenic infections. New Engl. J. Med. 333, 1498–1501 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Myers, G., Maclnnes, K. & Korber, B. The emergence of simian/human immunodeficiency viruses. AIDS Res. Hum. Retrovir, 8, 373–386 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Allan, J.S. et al. Species-specific diversity among simian immunodeficiency viruses from African green monkeys. J. Virol. 65, 2816–2828 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Poiesz, B.J. et al. Detection of type C retrovirus particles from fresh and cultured lymphocytes of a patient with T-cell lymphoma. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 7415–7419 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Koralnik, I.J. et al. A wide spectrum of simian T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I variants in nature: Evidence for interspecies transmission in Equatorial Africa. J. Virol. 68, 2693–2707 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Thompson, C. No cheers for baboon to AIDS patient xenotransplant. Lancet 346, 369–370 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lerche, N.W., Yee, J.L. & Jennings, M.B. Establishing specific retrovirus-free breeding colonies of macaques: An approach to primary screening and surveillance. Lab. Anim. Sci. 44, 217–221 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ward, J.A., Milliard, J.K. B virus-specific pathogen-free (SPF) breeding colonies of macaques: Issues, surveillance, and results in 1992. Lab. Anim. Sci. 44, 222–228 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Virology and Immunology, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, 7620 NW Loop 410 at Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas, 78228, USA

    Jonathan S. Allan

Authors
  1. Jonathan S. Allan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Allan, J. Xenotransplantation at a crossroads: Prevention versus progress. Nat Med 2, 18–21 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0196-18

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0196-18

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing