The patient, a 62-year-old man, received a genetically modified kidney and is progressing favorably. It is a step towards using animal organs to reduce transplant waiting lists.
A team of US surgeons transplanted successfully for first time a kidney from a genetically modified pig to a living patient. The patient, a 62-year-old man, “he is recovering well” of the operation, which took place last Saturday, announced the Massachusetts General Hospitalin Boston, in a statement.
They had already been transplanted pig kidneys to brain-dead people.
Transplantation of a genetically modified pig kidney into a living man
Until now, according to the newspaper The New York Times, the patient’s evolution is promising. The new kidney began producing urine shortly after surgery last weekend, the man continues to improveaccording to doctors at the hospital, known as Mass General.
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The transplant operation lasted four hours and it took place on March 16. The patient, who is African American, is already walking through the hallways of the health center and they could discharge him soon.
The procedure may have special importance for patients of African descent, who suffer high rates of end-stage kidney disease.
Genetic modifications in animals that could save lives
The Genetic modifications in organs are practiced to reduce the risk of rejection. The pig kidney used in this historic transplant was provided by eGenesis, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which removed three genes implicated in possible rejection. Additionally, seven human genes were inserted to improve human compatibility.
The field of xenografts (organ transplants from animals to humans) has advanced at great speed in recent years. In September 2021, surgeons at New York’s Langone Hospital performed the world’s first pig kidney transplant into a brain-dead person.
Source: Ambito
