Xenotransplantation Essay
expensive and risky immunosuppressant drugs that help suppress the body's immune system. A special seaweed based coating is used encapsulate the porcine islet cells in order to protect it from the antigen HLA.
Biological Implications of Xenotransplantation
One major positive implication xenotransplantation has on biology is that it prevents hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose); a common condition that exists between people with Type 1 Diabetes. Hyperglycaemia can also lead to a serious illness called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Xenotransplantation prevents hyperglycaemia because the pig's pancreatic islets that have been infused into the patient's liver help regulate a healthy blood glucose level naturally and effectively as the beta cells …show more content…
Since xenotransplantation replaces the damaged islets the patient's body is now able to create the insulin to counteract high blood glucose by itself. Thus, the need to inject insulin throughout the day and monthly check-ups are not required. The time used to do these things can instead be used to spend time on the things that are more important to the patient such as family, friends and work or study. This will enable them to build better and stronger relationships with the ones they love and can also help them do things they couldn't before. In short, it will let them live their life.
Another positive is that xenotransplantation is deemed cost-effective. In USA both Markov Modeling and Monte Carlo Simulations carried out a study to see the cost-effectiveness of porcine islet transplantation compared to standard insulin therapy. The effectiveness of both these procedures was measured by 'Quality-adjusted life years' (QALYs). Porcine islet transplantation proved to be a more cost-effective procedure at $659,00 per patient with an effectiveness of 10.9 QALYs whereas standard insulin therapy was more expensive at a cost of $661,000 with an effectiveness of 9.4 QALYs. In conclusion porcine islet transplantation is better and cheaper for society than standard insulin therapy. It is however a one-off payment while standard insulin medication may be paid monthly or yearly. One way to solve this is to break up the amount over a certain period so people are able to pay and afford porcine islet
Biological Implications of Xenotransplantation
One major positive implication xenotransplantation has on biology is that it prevents hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose); a common condition that exists between people with Type 1 Diabetes. Hyperglycaemia can also lead to a serious illness called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Xenotransplantation prevents hyperglycaemia because the pig's pancreatic islets that have been infused into the patient's liver help regulate a healthy blood glucose level naturally and effectively as the beta cells …show more content…
Since xenotransplantation replaces the damaged islets the patient's body is now able to create the insulin to counteract high blood glucose by itself. Thus, the need to inject insulin throughout the day and monthly check-ups are not required. The time used to do these things can instead be used to spend time on the things that are more important to the patient such as family, friends and work or study. This will enable them to build better and stronger relationships with the ones they love and can also help them do things they couldn't before. In short, it will let them live their life.
Another positive is that xenotransplantation is deemed cost-effective. In USA both Markov Modeling and Monte Carlo Simulations carried out a study to see the cost-effectiveness of porcine islet transplantation compared to standard insulin therapy. The effectiveness of both these procedures was measured by 'Quality-adjusted life years' (QALYs). Porcine islet transplantation proved to be a more cost-effective procedure at $659,00 per patient with an effectiveness of 10.9 QALYs whereas standard insulin therapy was more expensive at a cost of $661,000 with an effectiveness of 9.4 QALYs. In conclusion porcine islet transplantation is better and cheaper for society than standard insulin therapy. It is however a one-off payment while standard insulin medication may be paid monthly or yearly. One way to solve this is to break up the amount over a certain period so people are able to pay and afford porcine islet