Artificial organs are synthetic devices that replace injured or weakened body parts and functions. Similarly, engineered bioartificial organs serve the same purpose of organ replacement, but are produced using human cells. Xenotransplants, on the other hand, are obtained or grown using animal organs, tissues, and cells - particularly those of pigs and baboons. Despite these advances in transplant technology, patients still face the problem of hyperacute rejection, which is the result of the body's immune system protecting itself against foreign objects. Scientists and biochemists are currently developing efficient immunosuppressants to aid the body in accepting replacement organs and devices more readily and with fewer complications.
Although immunosuppressants work identically for xenotransplantation and artificial organ replacement, there are a number of risks involved with xenotransplantation even after the chance of hyperacute rejection is decreased. Because immunosuppressants weaken a patient's immune system, the greatest risk associated with xenotransplantation is the