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Key Points
- The pig’s kidney was genetically edited and survived over a month in a human.
- Similar transplants have previously failed due to human immune systems attacking the foreign tissue.
- There are more than 103,000 people waiting for organs in the United States, 88,000 of whom need kidneys.
The latest experimental procedure is part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species transplants, testing the technique on bodies donated for science.
Medical researchers collect a kidney biopsy during the transplant. Credit: Steve Wood/AP
There are more than 103,000 people waiting for organs in the United States, 88,000 of whom need kidneys.
“We have a genetically edited pig kidney surviving for over a month in a human,” Robert Montgomery, director of the New York University Langone Transplant Institute, told reporters.
Montgomery carried out the first genetically modified pig kidney transplant to a human in September 2021, followed by a similar procedure in November 2021. There have since been a handful of other cases, with all the experiments running for two or three days.
Surgeons at NYU Langone Health prepare to transplant a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man in New York on 14 July 2023. Source: AP / Shelby Lum/AP
While previous transplants have involved body parts with up to 10 genetic modifications, the latest had just one: in the gene involved in so-called “hyperacute rejection,” which would otherwise occur within minutes of an animal organ being connected to a human circulatory system.
“We’ve now gathered more evidence to show that, at least in kidneys, just eliminating the gene that triggers a hyperacute rejection may be enough along with clinically approved immunosuppressive drugs to successfully manage the transplant in a human for optimal performance — potentially in the long-term,” said Montgomery.
Both of the patient’s own kidneys were removed, then one pig kidney was transplanted and started immediately producing urine.
Medical researchers at the University of Alabama prepare for the transplant. Credit: Steve Wood/AP
The research was made possible by the family of the 57-year-old male patient, Maurice “Mo” Miller, who was found unresponsive in his bathroom in July. Doctors determined he had an aggressive form of brain cancer and would not wake up.
Current ‘xenotransplantation’ research efforts focus on pigs, which are thought to be ideal donors for humans because of their organ size, their rapid growth and large litter, and the fact they are already raised as a food source.
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