First Recipient of a Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies 8 Weeks after Historic Surgery

First Recipient of a Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies 8 Weeks after Historic Surgery

The last time I reported on kidney transplants, I noted that DEI readjustments are now being made for calculations based on the medical records associated with patients who have kidney issues and may require organ transplants.

Over 92,000 people are on the organ transplant list, waiting for a kidney. That represents 87% of the total number of patients who need new organs.

Researchers recently genetically modified pig kidneys in hopes of making more organs available quickly for patients needing a transplant before a human donor is available. The technology essentially removes the pig DNA components likely to produce an immune response in humans and replaces those bits with genes more compatible with our species. The modified pig embryos are then implanted into a sow.

As a result of the genetic treatment, the piglets are born with kidneys that can be used for human transplants. The first recipient of such an organ underwent surgery about 2 months ago, receiving a new organ with over 60 genetic edits.

The kidney used in the new surgery was modified using the gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 to:

• Remove certain pig genes that produce sugars with antibodies our immune systems react to.
• Add certain human genes to improve the kidney’s compatibility with humans.
• Inactivate viruses present in all pig genomes, known as porcine endogenous retroviruses, in the donor pig to eliminate risk of infection in the recipient.

In all, the kidney had 69 genomic edits.

Richard Slayman underwent the historic procedure in March of this year, passing away from causes not reported to be related to this transplant.

Richard “Rick” Slayman, who made history at age 62 as the first person to receive a kidney from a genetically modified pig, has died about two months after the procedure.

Massachusetts General Hospital, where Mr. Slayman had the operation, said in a statement on Saturday that its transplant team was “deeply saddened” at his death. The hospital said it had “no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant.”

As I suspected, Slayman’s case was desperate, which is likely why he agreed to this procedure.

The four-hour surgery was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston under Expanded Access Protocol ‘compassionate use’ clearance which is only implemented when patients with life-threatening illnesses have no other options.

Mr Slayman had been struggling with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension for years before he was finally diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.

He had dialysis treatment in 2011 and was eventually put on the kidney donor waiting list and received a human kidney transplant in December 2018.

Five years later the donor kidney started to fail and Mr Slayman was put back on dialysis in May 2023.

Slayman experienced a brief rejection reaction that was treatable with steroids. Reportedly, he left the hospital in the best health he had in some time.

A New Jersey woman recently received a genetically modified kidney and thymus gland.

“I’m feeling better and better and better every day,” said Pisano, 54, of Cookstown, N.J. “I got somewhat of me back. Not there yet. But I’m getting there.”

Ten days earlier, Pisano became the second living person in the world to get a kidney from a genetically modified pig transplanted into her body to replace her own failing organs, her doctors announced Wednesday. A Massachusetts man was the first to get a pig kidney last month.

Pisano also got a thymus gland from the same genetically engineered pig to help prevent her body from rejecting the kidney, as well as a pump to shore up her failing heart.

“I’m amazed,” said Pisano during a bedside interview two days before her kidney transplant was announced publicly. “I’m absolutely amazed that it’s an option for me. Because I didn’t think I even had that option.”

Clearly, “xenotransplantation” is in its early stages. Personally, I would like to know more about the quality of life for the pigs before making a complete assessment of its usefulness and ethics.

As a fan of meat products, I am copacetic with raising animals to be used by humans as we need. And this approach certainly shows promise and is much fairer than race-based number crunching.

As long as the animals aren’t suffering, the patients are fully informed, and the physicians are honest with themselves. Those they treat about the results, xenotransplantation might be a solid solution for a desperate problem.

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.