Use of Forensic DNA Testing to Trace Unethical Organ Procurement and Organ Trafficking Practices.
1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
2Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, Washington DC
3World Organization To Investigate The Persecution of Falun Gong, New York, NY
Meeting: 2017 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: D302
Keywords: Biopsy, Donors, Ethics, Public policy, unrelated
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session D: Non-Organ Specific: Economics, Public Policy, Allocation, Ethics
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Session Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Presentation Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Hall D1
The purpose of this study is to establish a methodology, which allows to identify evidence of transplant organs originating from Falun Gong prisoners of conscience in patients who traveled to China to receive a transplant.
BACKGROUND
For more than a decade, extensive investigations performed by multiple researchers have gathered data that have led to the conclusion that organs in China were unethically harvested not only from executed prisoners but also extralegally from living prisoners of conscience. Procurement from the later has allegedly contributed to several unusual transplant phenomena, e.g., short wait times of 1-4 weeks and an exponential increase of transplant numbers from ~3,000/yr in 1999 to over ~12,000 transplants/yr in 2004. Investigative reports have compiled evidence through data analysis, eyewitness reports, phone recordings, etc.
DESIGN
By applying the use of forensic DNA-analysis, we aim to build a DNA data bank that collects the DNA from missing victims in China and seek to identify transplant patients who went to China as transplant tourists. For missing victims, biological materials that can be used to extract DNA will be collected in China. For most transplant patients, the archival biopsy material can provide a DNA profile of the donors (potential victims of forced organ harvesting). The proposed method is not limited by China's selective flow of information, censorship and lack of transparency, which made it difficult to prove alleged organ harvesting claims. While the approach and the underlying ethical breach applies to all victim groups in equal manner, for this study we choose to focus on the largest, most clearly defined and best investigated victim group, i.e. Falun Gong prisoners of conscience.
RESULTS
A clear match between the transplanted organ and the DNA of missing prisoners of conscience would determine a positive outcome. It would offer evidence for China's forced organ harvesting practices. International collaborations would aid in the dissemination of information and education for the transplant community.
CITATION INFORMATION: He M, Corson A, Wang Z, Russo J, Trey T. Use of Forensic DNA Testing to Trace Unethical Organ Procurement and Organ Trafficking Practices. Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
He M, Corson A, Wang Z, Russo J, Trey T. Use of Forensic DNA Testing to Trace Unethical Organ Procurement and Organ Trafficking Practices. [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2017; 17 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/use-of-forensic-dna-testing-to-trace-unethical-organ-procurement-and-organ-trafficking-practices/. Accessed July 12, 2025.« Back to 2017 American Transplant Congress