The Americans intend to allow organ transplants obtained from donors with HIV, reports Nature. Only people who are carriers of this microorganism are to receive them.
It has already been approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, the only thing left to do is for President Barack Obama to sign the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act. Currently, organ transplantation from HIV-positive donors and those suffering from cancer is prohibited in the United States.
The new regulations are expected to increase the availability of organs for transplantation. In the United States, 121 people are waiting for a transplant. people, including many people with HIV. However, you should not expect the waiting number to be shortened too much. An analysis published in 2011 by the American Journal of Transplantation shows that organs obtained from HIV-positive donors will be able to be implanted in 500-600 people each year.
Advances in treatment have made HIV infection a chronic disease; carriers of this germ can live up to 20-30 years. Many of them are infected with hepatitis C and require liver transplantation.
However, it is uncertain what the effects of liver transplantation from an HIV-infected donor may result. The recipient may then be exposed to other strains of this microorganism that may prove more resistant to treatment.
Another problem is that transplant recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs to reduce the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ. Meanwhile, the HIV virus destroys the victim’s immune system. For this reason, carriers of this germ often take drugs that increase immunity.
Organ transplants from HIV-positive donors are already underway. Dr. Elmi Muller of the University of Cape Town has transplanted organs from HIV-infected donors to 26 carriers of the organism. (PAP)