Online Class

Total Students: 7 students

The class started with explanation from Professor about the topic and in some slides there are several
questions that we should answer as our discussion materials. The class ended by asked our opinion
regarding some therapy solution about medical transplantation.

Medical Transplantation
An organ is removed from one body and implanted in the body of the recipient during an organ
transplant operation to replace a damaged or absent organ. Organs may be moved from a donor site
to another location or the donor and recipient may be present at the same spot. Autografts are defined
as organs and/or tissues that are transplanted within the body of the same person. Allografts are
recent transplants carried out between two members of the same species. Allografts can come from
either cadaveric or living sources.

Successful organ transplants have been performed on the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas,
intestine, thymus, and uterine. Tissues include corneae, skin, heart valves, nerves, and veins The
most frequently transplanted organs globally are the kidneys, the liver, and then the heart. The most
frequently transplanted tissues are musculoskeletal and corneal grafts, which outnumber organ
transplants by a factor of more than ten.

Classification of medical transplantation

Autotransplantation
The transplantation of organs, tissues, or even specific proteins from one area of the body to another
within the same individual is known as autotransplantation. An autograft or autotransplant is the
term used to describe the autologous tissue implanted through such a technique. It is in contrast to
xenotransplantation, allotransplantation (from another member of the same species), and syngeneic
transplantation (grafts placed between two members of the same species who are genetically similar)
(from other species).

A typical illustration is the removal of a bone fragment, typically from the hip, and its grinding into a
paste for the restoration of another bone fragment. Despite being most frequently utilized for skin,
bone, or blood, autotransplantation can be used for a range of organs. Autotransplantation of a
kidney from one side of the body to the other is one of the uncommon cases. Nutcracker syndrome is
treated with kidney autotransplantation.
Allo/Xeno transplantation
An allograft is when an organ or piece of tissue is transplanted between two people who are
genetically unrelated but belong to the same species. Most transplants of human tissue and organs
use allografts. Because the recipient and the organ differ genetically, the recipient's immune system
will mistake the organ for something foreign and try to destroy it, leading to transplant rejection. By
measuring the panel-reactive antibody level, the likelihood of transplant rejection can be calculated.

Transplanting organs or tissue from one species to another is known as a xenograft. A successful and
typical example is the transplantation of swine heart valves. Another illustration is an attempt to
transplant pancreatic islets from fish to non-human primates. If successful, the later research project
was meant to open the door for eventual human usage. However, due to the elevated risk of non-
functional compatibility, rejection, and disease carried in the tissue, xenotransplantation is frequently
a very risky type of transplant. To combat the lack of organ donors, efforts are being made to find a
way to implant human fetal hearts and kidneys into animals for later transplantation into human
patients.

Brain death vs vegetative death

Brain death is different from a vegetative state (a disorder of awareness), which can occur after
severe brain damage, in that a vegetative state can be recovered from, whereas brain death is
irreversible. Since a person in a vegetative state still has a functioning brain stem, consciousness
may still be present. Although breathing on one's own is normally achievable, recovery is unlikely
because the brain stem's essential processes can be unaffected.

Although conscious, a person in a vegetative state doesn't exhibit any evidence of awareness. They
might open their eyes, for instance, but not react to their environment. Rarely, a person in a
vegetative state might exhibit some sort of response that can be picked up by a brain scan, but they
wouldn't be able to communicate with others or engage with their environment.

Islet Transplantation
Your pancreas contains clusters of cells known as pancreatic islets, also referred to as islets of
Langerhans. The pancreas is an organ that produces hormones to aid in the digestion and utilization
of food by the body. The beta cells that produce the hormone insulin are among the various cell types
found in islets. Blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is used by your body as fuel and is
controlled by insulin.

The islet allo-transplantation procedure, often known as the islet transplant for type 1 diabetes,
involves the removal of healthy beta cells and islets from the pancreas of a deceased organ donor.
The healthy islet cells are then injected into a vein that supplies blood to the liver of a type 1 diabetic
patient. A recipient is a person who is getting a transplant. The recipient's body's islets start
producing and releasing insulin. To stop using insulin, transplanted islet cells frequently require
more than one injection. Islet transplantation may benefit individuals with type 1 diabetes, according
to researchers.

Pig as donor solution

Pigs that have been genetically altered show considerable promise for xenotransplantation. Due to
the serious shortage of organ donors, genetically engineered pigs can donate their cells, tissues, and
organs. With the use of genetic engineering innovations, the donor genome for xenografts can now
be altered in almost any way. To overcome the many-layered barriers to xenotransplantation,
researchers must devise the most efficient mix of donor genome changes. Immunosuppressive
medications, which are also employed in studies on xenograft rejection inhibition, are essential to the
advancement of transplantation medicine.

A significant issue in transplantology is the developing organ shortage. As a result, new and different
organ sources must be discovered. Xenotransplantation, or the use of animal cells, tissues, and
organs, might be a potential approach. The ideal donor for these transplants is the domestic pig. But
xenogeneic transplantation from pigs to humans includes a severe immunological incompatibility
and a difficult rejection procedure. The cross-species immunological barrier in pigs can be lowered
thanks to the quick advancement of genetic engineering technology.