Attitudes of different population groups towards future xenotransplantation of porcine insulin producing cells

Transplantation of pancreas or cell therapies of insulin-producing b cells are considered as possible treatments for diabetes. There is currently, and there will continue to be, a shortage of human organs for transplantation. Islet allotransplantation could not decrease the organs shortage for people with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM). Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of animal cells or organs into humans. Xenotransplantation of encapsulated pig islets cells as potential solution to this shortage raises not only scientific questions like the problem of rejection, the problem of immunosuppression and the problem of biosafety, it also raises a number of complex social and ethical issues.