Council publishes report on animal-to-human transplants

1 March 1996

The Council has published a report entitled 'Animal-to-human transplants: the ethics of xenotransplantation' addressing the complex ethical and safety issue, such as: 

• is it ethical to use animals to provide ‘spare parts’ for humans?

• is it ethical to produce genetically modified pigs containing human genes?

• how can any animal suffering be minimised?

• will animal diseases be passed onto human beings?