Chemical Seminar

Recently human face transplantation has become a clinical reality. In

this presentation the research that has laid the foundation (technical,

immunological and ethical) for introducing this new reconstructive

treatment will be discussed.

The human face and facial transplantation has long captured the

interest and imagination of scientists, the media and the lay public.

This is not surprising since the face is a unique part of our anatomy,

like no others, associated with the special qualities that make us

uniquely human. We put such a high importance to our face that facial

disfigurement is a extremely devastating condition to us. Of all the

physical handicaps, none is more socially devastating than facial

disfigurement, in many cases leading to depression, social isolation,

and even the risk of suicide.

Conventional methods of treating subjects with severe facial

disfigurement are woefully inadequate, resulting in years of multiple

surgical interventions, complications, and poor aesthetic and functional

outcomes. Facial transplantation can provide an excellent alternative

to current treatments. The surgical techniques necessary to transplant a

human face are well established and the early success of human hand and

facial tissue transplants suggests that the immunological hurdles of

transplanting human facial tissues have been largely overcome. In spite

of this initial success, there continues to be a heated debate over

ethical concerns associated with this new treatment. At the center of

this debate is the question, Do the risks posed by the life-long

immunosuppression that a recipient would have to take justify the

benefits of receiving a face transplant?

This presentation will focus on research that has helped overcome many

of the barriers that have and continue to stand in the way of

introducing facial; transplantation into the clinical arena.

CV information