A team of surgeons has successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a living patient for the first time.
According to a US hospital – Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) on Thursday, the four-hour operation was carried out on Saturday on a 62-year-old man suffering from end-stage kidney disease.
It was said that if the breakthrough is successful, it could bring hope to people who are suffering from kidney failure.
“The real hero today is the patient, Mr Slayman, as the success of this pioneering surgery, once deemed unimaginable, would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to embark on a journey into uncharted medical territory.
As the global medical community celebrates this monumental achievement, Mr. Slayman becomes a beacon of hope for countless individuals suffering from end-stage renal disease and opens a new frontier in organ transplantation,” said Joren C. Madsen, MD, DPhil, Director of the MGH Transplant Center.
The hospital said the patient, Richard Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, “is recovering well at MGH and is expected to be discharged soon.”
Slayman, who battles Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, underwent a human kidney transplant in 2018. However, the kidney began to fail five years later, necessitating dialysis treatment.
Speaking on why he agreed to a pig kidney transplant, Slayman said the decision was not only a personal choice but also a beacon of hope for thousands in need of transplants to survive.
Slayman’s decision holds significance, especially considering the higher rates of kidney disease among ethnic minorities, as highlighted by the hospital.
Dr. Winfred Williams, Slayman’s nephrologist, emphasized the persistent health disparities targeted by national policies for decades, with limited success.
He sees the pig kidney transplant as a potential solution to achieve health equity by providing a well-functioning kidney to all patients in need.
The groundbreaking procedure falls within the realm of xenotransplantation, where organs are transplanted from one species to another. While pig kidneys have been transplanted into brain-dead patients previously, Slayman marks the first living recipient.
Notably, recent attempts at pig heart transplants in the United States resulted in survival periods of less than two months for both patients.
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