Daniel J. Hurst, PhD, ThM, MDiv, MSc currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Medical Education and Scholarship, Associate Professor, and Director of Medical Professionalism, Ethics, and Humanities at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey, USA. A bioethicist who often uses empirical methods, his research over the past decade has largely focused on ethical, regulatory, and social aspects of xenotransplantation. In 2023 he co-edited (with Luz Padilla and Wayne Paris) the volume “Xenotransplantation: Ethical, Regulatory, and Social Aspects” with Springer. He has a forthcoming book with Routledge (expected late 2025) entitled “Exploring the Ethics of Clinical Xenotransplantation.” Hurst also serves on the IXA Ethics Committee.
Attitudes toward pig islet xenotransplantation for type 1 diabetes: A scoping review
Daniel Hurst1, Luz Padilla2, Daniel Rodger3.
1Medical Education & Scholarship, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States; 2Epidemiology & Surgery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, AL, United States; 3London South Bank University , London, United Kingdom
Background: Over 8 million people globally have type 1 diabetes. Islet allotransplantation offers an alternative to insulin therapy but is constrained by donor availability. Genetically modified pig islet transplantation presents a potential solution, yet understanding stakeholder attitudes is crucial before clinical adoption.
Methods: This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA guidelines. CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsychINFO, and SCOPUS were searched for studies examining attitudes toward pig islet xenotransplantation among patients, healthcare workers, and other stakeholders.
Results: From 199 sources, 16 met eligibility criteria, spanning ten countries from 2003 - 2023. The 23,780 participants included 1,535 (6.5%) patients/family members, 216 (0.9%) healthcare workers, and 22,029 (92.6%) students. Attitudes were generally positive but declined sharply in some studies when risks, such as viral transmission, were disclosed.
Conclusion: Despite overall positive attitudes, risk perception significantly influences acceptance of islet xenotransplantation. The predominance of quantitative research highlights a need for qualitative studies and validated survey instruments to enhance understanding and comparability of stakeholder perspectives.
[1] attitudes
[2] diabetes
[3] islet cells
[4] public perception
[5] xenotransplantation