2007 IXA Presidential Address. Progress toward an ideal source animal: opportunities and challenges in a changing world

Xenotransplantation holds great promise for the treatment of end-stage organ failure and tissue injury. Recent advances in our understanding of the immunological hurdles to xenotransplantation and the development of genetic modification approaches to overcome them increase the likelihood of success. Exciting advances in these areas were presented at the Joint Congress of the IXA, the Cell Transplant Society and the International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association in Minneapolis in September, 2007. However, in order to minimize infectious risks and encourage positive public perception of xenotransplantation, clinical trials should be initiated with appropriate monitoring and oversight procedures in place and only when there is high expectation of clinical benefit.