Xenotransplantation (zee-no-tran-splan-tay-shn). What is it? Well, it's when a genetically modified pig or another animal, one that had its genes changed to suit human needs, gets its organ transplanted into a human in need.

Every day, 22 people die because they couldn't receive an organ in time from a suitable donor. The truth is, the world organ supply is skim as they are hard to come by. The time window in which an organ is still useful after it is taken out of a donor is also small.

Window of Usefulness for Different Organs

• Heart - 4-6 hours

• Lungs - 4-6 hours

• Liver - 8-12 hours

• Kidney - 24-36 hours

These unfavorable conditions are the reason why so many patients pass away, and why so many families mourn every day. Xenotransplantation, however, could solve many of these problems. By genetically modifying pig organs for human use, organs would become widely available for use, consequently decreasing the death rate of waitlisted people. Families won't have to mourn and patients don't have to think about what could've been - all because they get a second chance.

Xenotransplantation is for the most part just biological changes. Starting off, the human body consists of the immune system, which makes sure that things inside the body are functioning properly and not faulty. In the case of Xenotransplantation, it's the organs. If someone simply grabbed an animal's organ and put it in a human, their body would reject it, as it is foreign and not from the original body. Specifically, a protein called HLA, which covers the surface of a human cell, would contact the immune system if something foreign is detected.

This and various other tactics prevent foreign substances to be used in the human body, but genetic modifications can change that. If the pig organ is genetically modified to have glutaraldehyde (gloo-tral-duh-hide), HLA rejections can be prevented. Through these genetic modifications, organ transplantation from animals becomes possible, leading to saved lives and second chances. The genetic modifications are placed into a chimera, which is basically an embryo of human cells and the animal, which is then placed into a mother, creating the pig.

Like everything, there's always a downside; in our case, it's the ethical issues. Also, because xenotransplantation is in its preliminary stages, fears of many different situations are present. This includes possible pig mutations, different underlying conditions related to the pig organ, or simply the thought of having a pig organ in your body.

To add on, many different groups of people and organizations oppose Xenotransplantation because of the fact that it consists of killing animals for organs. Groups such as PETA have spoken out against xenotransplantation, calling it a "sham," but if saving family members is on the table, is it really a sham? When 22 people die each day due to the scarcity of organs is it really that much of a sham? When 3.5 million pigs are killed each day, why not put at least some of them to better use.

Xenotransplantation is still in an infant stage, so ethics will be the focal point for years to come. Not to mention, the potential biological/health conditions that may be associated with or arise from it.