[Xenotransplantation research for clinical practice].

In Japan a very strict brain death transplant bill has been effective since October 1997. However, the number of potential heart donors will be very few. In the United States and Europe, where most organ transplants are carried out, the chronic donor organ shortage has increased interest in the possible use of xenogeneic organs for transplantation in humans. Pigs, which are possible donors, now appear to be incompatible with humans and their organs will be hyperacutely rejected. The mechanism of hyperacute rejection is now well elucidated with clarification of the roles of complement and xenogeneic antigen. The strategies for overcoming hyperacute rejection involve creating transgenic pigs with insertion of human anti-complement genes and modification of their xenoantigens. The Japanese Society for Xenotransplantation has recently been established, ant the 5th International Congress for Xenotransplantation will be held in Nagoya in October 1999.