Abstract

Can it be ethical to conduct xenotransplant research on a human brain‐dead decedent (HB‐DD) whose organs could otherwise be given to persons in need? The ethical consensus is that it is better to save existing persons via organ donation than to devote a HB‐DD to research that will not directly benefit anyone. I argue otherwise. Given how rapidly xenotransplant research is progressing, and its clinical promise in the next couple of years or decades, I argue that it can be ethical to conduct xenotransplant research on a HB‐DD whose organs could otherwise be given to individuals in need.