In a groundbreaking medical achievement, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have performed the world’s first successful transplant of a genetically-engineered pig kidney into a living recipient.
The recipient, 62-year-old Richard Slayman, underwent the historic 4-hour operation on Saturday, March 16, as a solution to his end-stage kidney disease.
A ground-breaking Kidney transplant!
Led by Dr. Leonardo V. Riella, the team of surgeons successfully transplanted the genetically-modified pig kidney, which had undergone 69 genomic edits to enhance compatibility with humans and reduce the risk of infection.
Mr. Slayman, who had previously received a kidney transplant from a deceased human donor in 2018, had been on dialysis for seven years prior to his first transplant.
However, his transplanted kidney showed signs of failure in 2023, leading him to resume dialysis. With the prospect of a lengthy wait for another human kidney transplant, which could have been six to seven years, Dr. Riella proposed the option of a pig kidney transplant. Mr. Slayman, frustrated with dialysis and facing dire health circumstances, agreed to the pioneering procedure.
The Transplantation Procedure
The genetically-modified pig kidney, provided by eGenesis of Cambridge, Massachusetts, underwent meticulous editing to reduce the risk of rejection and eliminate the possibility of infection from viruses.
The transplant operation, performed under a single FDA Expanded Access Protocol (EAP), was a collaborative effort involving Dr. Tatsuo Kawai, the surgeon who conducted the surgery, and a team of specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“The success of this transplant is the culmination of efforts by thousands of scientists and physicians over several decades. We are privileged to have played a significant role in this milestone. Our hope is that this transplant approach will offer a lifeline to millions of patients worldwide who are suffering from kidney failure,” Kawai said.
A solution to transplantation troubles?
Following the successful transplantation, Mr. Slayman’s vital signs have remained stable, and there have been no signs of rejection from his immune system.
More than 100,000 individuals in the United States are currently on the waiting list for organ transplants, as reported by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Tragically, 17 people lose their lives each day while awaiting organ transplantation.
The groundbreaking procedure, a milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, offers hope to thousands of patients worldwide who are on organ transplant waiting lists.
Monitoring and Future scope
However, the longevity of the pig kidney’s function remains to be seen, with ongoing monitoring and research required to assess its durability as a viable long-term solution.
The successful outcome of Mr. Slayman’s transplant represents a significant advancement in transplantation medicine and underscores the potential of xenotransplantation to address the critical shortage of human organs for transplantation.
While the procedure is not yet approved by the FDA and requires further clinical trials and research, it holds promise as a potential solution to save lives and improve the quality of life for patients suffering from end-stage organ failure.
