Environmental concern over NZ diabetes pig call transplants

Controversy is brewing in New Zealand over pig cell transplants into humans suffering from type 1 diabetes .
The New Zealand Green Party is urging scientists and patients to be cautious over the transplant procedure. The procedure, known as xenotransplantatio, is currently at the clinical trials stage, but was halted eleven years ago amidst furore over viral transplants between species. Concern over the spread of viruses between pigs and humans caused promising trials by Living Cell Technologies to be stopped.
The New Zealand Government is expected to give a decision on the resumption of the procedure within the next couple of months. The health spokeswoman for the Green Party, Sue Kedgley, raised concerns over the procedure.
Whilst they wait for a decision in New Zealand, Living Cells Technology is conducting a trial on six diabetics in Russia . Pig cell transplants, if they are shown to be effective and are not rejected by the trial subjects, could have an important role to play in the future of type 1 diabetes.