Potential applications and prospects for cardiac xenotransplantation

Despite improvements in pharmacologic therapies, the outlook for patients with severe cardiac disease remains poor. At present, the only "cure" for end-stage heart failure is transplantation. However, fewer than 5% of those who need a cardiac transplant receive one in the United States each year. As an alternative, some propose using animals as a source of organs for transplantation (i.e., xenotransplantation). In this article we review the potential applications of xenotransplantation for the treatment of cardiac disease, and weigh xenotransplantation against other new technologies that might be used. We also consider the current status of addressing the hurdles to application of xenotransplantation.