Boston Doctors Transplant Genetically Modified Pig Kidney into Living Person for First Time
Doctors in Boston have transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient. This marks the first time a pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person, according to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Before this, pig kidneys had been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors, the Associated Press (AP) reports. In August, two U.S. surgical teams announced successful experimental kidney transplant from transgenic pigs into brain-dead human recipients. In both instances, the pig kidneys produced urine, carried out other functions of a kidney, and were not rejected by the body. Jim Lowe, DVM, associate professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, is among the team of collaborators on Makana’s KidneyX Prize Competition Award.
This kidney transplant was performed earlier this month, AP reports. The patient, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman of Weymouth, Mass., is recovering well and is expected to be discharged soon, doctors said Thursday. This marks the latest development in xenotransplantation, the term for efforts to try to heal human patients with cells, tissues or organs from animals.
"For decades, it didn't work - the human immune system immediately destroyed foreign animal tissue. More recent attempts have involved pigs that have been modified so their organs are more humanlike," AP shared.
This is an exciting advancement, experts point out. More than 800,000 Americans have end-stage kidney disease. The only treatment options available for these patients are to undergo dialysis several times a week or to receive a transplant of a healthy human kidney.
With demand for donated organs far greater than supply, identifying an alternative source for kidneys is a high priority. Using kidneys from pigs that have been genetically altered so that their cells do not trigger rejection when transplanted into people is rapidly moving toward a viable medical solution.
Read more:
Promising Kidney Transplant Solution Taps Expertise of Dr. Jim Lowe
New Study Shows Promise for Genetically Modified Pig Organ Transplants
