US surgeons perform first pig-to-human kidney transplant
A 62-year-old man with end-stage renal disease has become the first human to receive a kidney from a genetically modified pig in a surgery performed by doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on March 16. The patient, Richard Slayman from Weymouth, Massachusetts, is recovering well. This surgery is a significant milestone in xenotransplantation, aiming to provide more readily available organs to patients. The pig kidney was provided by eGenesis of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and had been genetically edited to improve compatibility with humans and to inactivate viruses that could infect humans. Drugs used to prevent rejection of the pig organ included an experimental antibody called tegoprubart, developed by Eledon Pharmaceuticals. This event marks progress in the field of xenotransplantation, with over 100,000 people in the U.S. awaiting an organ transplant, kidneys being in the highest demand.
