Pig kidney transplanted into living person for first time
(CNN) — Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital say they’ve successfully completed the world’s first transplant of a genetically modified kidney from a pig into a living human.
Posted — UpdatedThe patient was a 62-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease.
This is the third such xenotransplant of a pig organ into a living human. The first two transplants were hearts transplanted into living patients that had run out of other transplant options. The organs were transplanted under special rules that permit compassionate use of experimental therapies for patients in especially dire situations. Both patients died weeks after receiving their organs.
The organ came from a pig that was genetically modified by a company eGenesis to make them more compatible with humans.
“This successful procedure heralds a new era in medicine in which we have the potential to eliminate organ supply as a barrier to transplantation and realize our vision that no patient dies waiting for an organ,” Dr. Michael Curtis, CEO of eGenesis, said in new release.
“We are humbled by the courage and generosity of this patient, who is a true pioneer, enabling this major break-through in science and transplant medicine.”
The need for organs far outstrips the number that are available. Every day 17 people die in the U.S. waiting for an organ. Kidneys are the organ in shortest supply. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, roughly 27,000 kidneys were transplanted in 2023, but nearly 89,000 people were on the waitlist for those organs.
Experts say xenotransplantation, or transplants from animals to humans, could be a critical part of solving the shortage of donor organs.
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