The man who received the first genetically modified pig kidney transplant dies

Slayman’s case made headlines in mid-March, when details of the transplant were reported, a historic achievement that opens the door to a new era for medicine.

Slayman had advanced kidney function, a condition that affects more than 800,000 people in the United States alone, many of them dependent on dialysis and the best solution, a kidney transplant, is difficult to access. According to the US Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, approximately one lakh people in the country are on the waiting list to receive a transplant.

version in organs

For decades, science has been considering xenotransplants, which use animal kidneys, as a possible solution to that shortage. The problem is the human body’s immune response to animal parts, which makes them nonviable. The solution the researchers have developed is the development of genetically modified pigs, which involves editing their organs.

The kidney that was transplanted into Slayman was developed by Egenesis, an American company that removed three genes from the pig and added seven genes to make the animal’s organ compatible with humans.

Slayman was the perfect patient for this novel treatment. He received a human kidney transplant in 2018, but last year it began failing and led to heart problems.

The modified pig kidney transplant was deemed a success and the doctors involved said the organ could function for years.

end dialysis

“Our hope is that dialysis will become obsolete,” said Leonardo Rilla, medical director of kidney transplantation at the Massachusetts Hospital.

Slayman, who was discharged two weeks after the transplant, said in a statement, “I thought of this not only as a way to help myself, but as a way to give hope to the thousands of people who need transplants to survive. is required.”

Slayman’s family said after learning of his death, “His legacy will inspire patients, researchers and medical professionals.”