(Hastings Center) – A multisite research team has issued ethical and policy recommendations for first-in-human clinical trials involving the transplantation of pig kidneys into humans. The first trial has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and could begin this year.

Transplantation of animal organs into humans, or xenotransplantation, holds promise as a strategy to alleviate the scarcity of human organs. Clinical trials are essential for determining whether animal organs are safe in humans and how well the organs function in humans. (Read More)