Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation is the newly emerged medical term for the transplantation of tissues or organs of one species or genus to another. The driving force behind this avenue of science appears to be largely motivated by a shortage of donor human organs needed to replace diseased organs in humans.
Scientists have differences of opinion about the methods. Some may argue that xenotransplantation could solve the issue regarding shortages of donor human organs but others believe that there are unknown health hazards and they advise caution before we allow further development of this system.
Outside the medical profession, many members of the public find the idea objectionable and others would argue that such extreme methods and surgical techniques are an admission of the failure of modern medicine to keep us well. Many thinking people recoil at the idea that human existence could only be continued through organs surgically implanted in us from animals. Animals cannot be considered as ‘donors’ but as creatures fated for abuse.
It appears that having forsaken preventative medicine as the ideal philosophy to save us from suffering disease, this new avenue of medical science is taking a controversial and disturbing turn.
Once there was promised a new hope for reform in medicine that would demonstrate a happy co-existence between those who wished to follow the medical drug culture and those who wished to rely upon traditional naturopathic methods as democratic culture applies individual freedom of choice.
The problem could be approached and possibly resolved by health education and preventative medicine as once inspired the community towards following the natural alternative methods for health and well being.
We hear little about allopathic medicine turning now to embrace and promote natural methods. Drug philosophies maintain drug medication and drug companies keep a strong hand on controlling the ‘health industry’ and as far as possible that chemical drugs continue to be required as the mainstream medicine in the community.
The extreme methods of modern science disregard the natural separation of species of human from animal shock us into fresh appraisal as to whether we would not be better off learning to look after our own health by undertaking greater responsibility for keeping ourselves free of disease.
However, the extreme ill health of the community it has opened up new and dangerous avenues of experimentation that are not controlled by defined ethical considerations.
The debate continues and must be soon resolved – by the public or by doctors or perhaps by our philosophers and religious or spiritual guides confident about what is right and wrong?
Leave a Reply