Australia lifts ban on animal to human transplants
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council has lifted a five-year ban on the clinical use of xenotransplantation – a medical process involving the transplantation of animal tissue into humans to treat disease.
The ban was originally established by the NHMRC in 2004 to allow for further research into the possible side effects of the technique, particularly concerning the potential transmission of disease from animals to humans.
The NHMRC has now concluded that xenotransplantation research can proceed and that the associated risks with xenotransplantation are minimal and acceptable given the potential benefits.
Whilst the ban has been officially lifted, there are still a number of strict guidelines that need to be followed before xenotransplantation research can take place. These include the development and implementation of strict national frameworks, administered by the Therapeutic Goods Association, to ensure all clinical trials are sufficiently monitored and regulated. Animal welfare and ethics organisations will also be responsible for maintaining a high level of animal care.
Xenotransplantation research holds considerable promise for people with type 1 diabetes, particularly in the area of islet transplantation. JDRF funds a number of research projects in Australia and overseas looking into the possibility of using transplanted pig islet cells to replace the human cells lost during the disease process.
So far, xenotransplantation has had positive results in studies overseas. Researchers at two JDRF islet transplant centers in the United States were able to safely and effectively reverse diabetes in a number of animal models including monkeys by transplanting islet cells from pigs.
Dr Dorota Pawlak
“JDRF fully supports the NHMRC’s decision to allow clinical xenotransplantation research in Australia,” says JDRF Research Manager, Dr Dorota Pawlak.
“When used under strict ethical and scientific guidelines, xenotransplantation techniques have the potential to save the lives of thousands of people every year.”
“This is especially true for people on organ donor waiting lists and those living type 1 diabetes. These people urgently need to replace the insulin-producing cells destroyed by the disease and there is a very real possibility that this can be done using xenotransplantation.”
If you would like more information about xenotransplantation, go to the NHMRC website or call JDRF on 1300 363 126.
Oh my goodness. Now the boot is on the other foot. I once (and still do) felt really strongly about the use of animals for such purposes. The sterile conditions the pigs are kept in are a far cry from the environment a pig kept for food production is kept in, and those conditions are less than acceptable. However, now I have a child with T1D and we really want a cure – what a predicament! There is also the issues of diseases that can pass between species – a very unknown quantity. As much as we/she wants a cure, I think we will wait for some long term study results to come out. I wonder if the researchers can improve the quality of life of the research animals. Shame it can't all be done in a petri dish!
Wow sign me up how do i get my name on the list i don't mind going first
I've been a type 1 diabetic for around 40 years and in the early days the only insulin available was pork or cattle insulin and we all (the few of us there were back then) seemed to do just fine. I don't really see much difference between using the product produced by pig islet cells and the use of the pig cells themselves.
If it works is the main thing. The lives of the donor pigs will be far better than those destined for the meat market – allbeit minus the mud – as stressed animals are more prone to diseases.
I also have had type 1 Diabetes for almost 36 years with no signs of complications as yet, and yes, the pork insulin has done me no harm. With a 16 year old son now a type 1 diabetic as well, I say bring on the animal islet transplant, please.
I am a person who has a daughter with Type 1. and autism. Yes I desperately want a cure for her, but it would depend on how the animal is treated. If the pigs conditions are bad my daughter and I will have to wait for a different cure. We 're very distressed about the conditions pigs live in as it is !!! How are they going to police these conditions?
I was diagnosed with T1D when i was 15, i am now almost 24. Although there are many other illnesses out there that are far worse, being a diabetic is not as straight forward as allot of people believe. i think if they can prove that in doing the xenotransplantation there will not be a transfer of illness from the animal its self. WHY NOT?? My pancreas doesnt work anyway. if it is uncussesfull we are only back where we started from.
Pigs have retroviures in their DNA that can be transmitted to humans. Several of these viruses can be tested for, and if positive, these pigs wouldn't be used. However, you can only scan for viruses that you know about. It is highly likely that there are viruses that researchers have not yet discovered. Immunosuppressant drugs are required for any transplant. These drugs 'turn off' the immune system, rendering it useless against any new viruses. These zoonotic viruses can also have a devastating effect on whole communities as we have seen with the swine flu virus.
I want a cure too. Diseases such as T1D suck, but if you're going to sign yourself up for such things, you need to be really well informed and not just rely on what the biotech companies tell you. They are there to make money, not for the good of the community. The cure may be worse than the disease.
Congrats to the researchers that have the courage to explore the unknown. This may be a major break thru for all people suffering with T1. No one is saying that you have to accept the "cure" but for those of us willing to thats our choice. I am so gald that I fundraise for JDRF its wonderful to see where some of the money goes. looking forward to a CURE.
I have had T1 diabetes for the last 24 years and would welcome a islet transplant but it does still mean taking regular medication so which one is more of a problem-immunosuppressant drugs or insulin…at least the immunosuppressant drugs can be taken orally!!
There is also alot of techniques for the detection of virus particles/RNA/DNA without the need for a disease to be present so I would be fairly happy to take the chance given that these pigs haven't seen wild animals (diseased or carriers) for a number of generations and as such something like swine flu would not be a concern (you need water fowl contact as well to concoct these nasties)
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 43 years ago and commenced treatment for the first few years on bovine or cattle insulin injected via glass syringes and then moved to porcine or pig insulin then eventually to the human type insulin. I understand the possible problems associated with xenotransplantation but for many years insulin from animals kept me alive, healthy and enjoying life to the fullest. Eventhough there maybe possible complications with animal Islet cell transplantation, I, for one would gladly undergo the procedure in order to possibly return to the type of freedom I enjoyed in my pre-diabetic life of so long ago and more importantly to reduce or cease the insidious ongoing damage to my body from diabetes.
Unfortunately, Jacky is misinformed. LCT, the company intending to bring encapsulated porcine beta cells to market uses pathogen free pigs treated in a very strictly regulated and sterile environment. The pigs are from a special isolated breed that has proven to be disease free. The pigs live a very good pampered life and are treated humanely. The fact is, the first insulin was animal sourced, and humans will use animals for food anyway, like it or not. Furthermore, not only have people eaten pigs from the slaughterhouse and farmyard for years, but pig heart valves, clotting factor, and insulin have been used for years without harm. There is no reason to suggest that any diseases would be transmitted via xenotransplants. Lastly, as the encapsulated cells are safely protected from the immune system (against innate and autoimmunity), there is NO immune suppression involved. Propaganda and misinformation is exactly what is standing in front of a viable cure therapy. Forget lab results, LCT has had success in HUMAN trials. In other words, this could deliver a "cure" NOW. I hope JDRF supports LCT.
Sarah, you seem to be well informed. Can you share what you have read about LCT please.
As I said in my earlier post, information is critical – information from BOTH sides. I have begun reading some of the latest peer reviewed papers in journals such as: Xenotransplantation 16 (4), pp. 215-222 . Following is an excert from the abstract. DPF status is 'designated pathogen-free" and is used in regard to the pigs used for xenotransplantation.
The DPF status cannot be realized for endogenous viruses, such as porcine endogenous retrovirus. Therefore, regulatory authorities require patient monitoring after xenotransplantation. Considering the infectious pathogen status and necessary regulatory compliance, it is recommended that organ procurement be conducted at the animal facility and that cell manufacturing facilities be located nearby. To enable assessment of as-yet unknown pathogens long after xenotransplantation, regulatory guidances mandate archiving donor materials for at least 50 yr. As this is essentially a public health issue, governmental institutions are urged to be responsible for the archive.
Please, don't get me wrong. I want a cure too. I hate seeing my little girl suffer – with coeliac disease as well. Just research and think about what you are reading.
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