What animals can be used for organ transplants?

Answer 1

No animal livers are routinely used for human liver transplants, due to xenotransplantation being significantly more risky than allotransplantation.

There is research into how to make organs from pigs more "humanised" for future use in transplantation, but as of yet these organs are nowhere near ready for use in routine transplantation surgery.

Answer 2

Currently the only animals with a recognized direct use within human transplantation are pigs and cows - both can be used to supply heart-valves (a tiny but crucial part of a heart) to patients in need of replacement valves. Artificial alternatives are available, however there are pros and cons to using just one type of valve over another, and what suits one patient may not suit another.

No other animals have a standard-practice use within organ transplantation, because xenotransplantation (animal-to-human transplantation) carries far higher risks (and hence, much lower success rates) than allotransplantation (human-to-human).

Please see related link on xenotransplantation.

Answer 3

Liver transplants replace a diseased human liver with a healthy liver from a human donor, either living or non-living.

Answer 4

None unless they have been genetically modified to be suitable - the organs are 'humanised'. Then, it is primarily pigs that are used.