Ethical xenotransplant research on human brain-dead decedents.

Can it be ethical to conduct xenotransplant research on a human brain-dead decedent (HB-DD) whose organs could otherwise be given to persons in need? The ethical consensus is that it is better to save existing persons via organ donation than to devote a HB-DD to research that will not directly benefit anyone. I argue otherwise. Given how rapidly xenotransplant research is progressing, and its clinical promise in the next couple of years or decades, I argue that it can be ethical to conduct xenotransplant research on a HB-DD whose organs could otherwise be given to individuals in need.