Abstract

The idea of transferring organs from animals to humans dates back to antiquity, as shown in the fable of Daedalus and Icarus. However, xenotransplantation is a relatively recent phenomenon. That prospect presents a slew of legitimate ethical concerns, as well as bogus ones caused by cultural ignorance of science. As a systematic scientific study, xenotransplantation dates only to the latter half of the 20th century, with episodic xenotransplantation events occurring before that. As the science of xenotransplantation has advanced in the 20th and 21st centuries, the public's awareness of the potential therapy has also increased, leading to shifting ethical stances towards xenotransplantation in important areas, such as public health concerns, animal rights, and religious perspectives on the procedure. This article aims to examine the concept of xenotransplantation in terms of its ethics, policy, and regulatory considerations. The doctrinal research method is adopted to unravel with holistic view modern trends in xenotransplantation and how it has impacted the medical field. The findings reveal there have been numerous attempts to effectively carry out xenotransplantation and most proved abortive and the prosecution violation to that effect is difficult. The article concludes that there is a significant concern for society in general when it comes to xenotransplantation. There are also "bad ethics" issues that arise as a result of scientists' refusal to acknowledge ethical considerations in science. This, combined with public misunderstanding of science, fosters the spread of religious and other non-rational concerns, such as the argument that xenotransplantation is capable of transmitting deadly viral diseases to the human race. These baseless concerns can only be alleviated if public comprehension of science improves and scientific understanding of ethics grows. This paper recommends that a holistic regulatory framework for xenotransplantation is paramount and the need for international harmonization and standardization of regulations should be a serious concern if all issues pertaining to xenotransplantation must be resolved.