The Future of Heart Xenotransplant

pp 505-513

Abstract

Current development of molecular biology and DNA-recombinant technology preview the generation of genetically engineered xenografts compatible with human tissues. A feasible design to construct a cardiac xenograft using a phylogenetically disparate donor (swine) consistin redubing α-galactosyl epitope density on celular surface by transferring and over expressing human fucosyl transferase in the seine, to produce in the animal an epitope similar to human H antigen. Simultaneous strategy of fucosyltransferase expression and complement blockage (by expressing complement regulatory proteins) associated to inmunosuppressive drugs, could be enough to prevent hyperacute and acute rejection.Transference and expression of genes could be done by artificially ex-vivo organ perfussion orby creating transgenic animals from germinal cell line. Current knowledge lets propose a clear theoretically basis for compatible xenografts construction.