On March 21, 2024, a genetically modified pig kidney was successfully transplanted into a human recipient for the first time. A 62-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease underwent a four-hour procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is a milestone achievement that comes nearly 70 years after the first successful kidney transplant, moving us one step closer to providing widespread organ availability.
Provided by eGenesis in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the pig kidney underwent modification through CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Genes that are present in pigs but could be harmful to humans were removed, where necessary genes for humans that are not present in pigs were added. Additionally, all porcine retroviruses were deactivated to lower the risk of infection in the recipient. All of this is the product of over five years of research. MGH and eGenesis have collaborated extensively, researching how to genetically engineer the pig kidney in order to perform the transplant successfully.
After all this, the transplant was successful. Richard Slayman, the patient, is recovering nicely and has been discharged from the hospital. This is his second kidney transplant, originally receiving a donation from a deceased donor in 2018. This transplant began failing in 2023, which is when doctors recommended a pig kidney transplant. He agreed and is expected to make a full recovery. Doctors and surgeons have praised Slayman, all of whom feel this milestone would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to try this new treatment. Slayman, likewise, has expressed gratitude to the team at MGH who made this possible for him. He stated that he decided to go through with it in order to extend his life and to provide hope to others like him, who are waiting on organs.
It is estimated that 100,000 people in the United States alone are currently waiting on organ transplants due to the worldwide organ shortage. This transplant provides hope to those people and those studying the field of xenotransplantation–the transplantation of organs from one species to another. The landmark achievement of the transplantation of a pig kidney to a human moves this field forward and could provide hundreds of thousands of people with organ transplants.