April 14, 2024
By Hyun Cho
Researchers are positive about the notion of expanding clinical trials involving pig organs following the successful implantation of a pig kidney into a human recipient. This development signifies progress in xenotransplantation, which involves utilizing animal organs in human patients.
The pig kidney was transplanted on the 16th of March into recipient Richard Slayman, a 62-year-old man with end-stage renal failure. The kidney was taken from a miniature pig carrying 69 genomic edits, aimed at preventing rejection of the donated organ and reducing the risk that a virus lurking in the organ could infect the recipient. At least in the short term, the transplant had proved safe and successful.
All transplants of animal organs into living humans in the US received FDA approval as “compassionate use”, meaning it is granted in narrow cases where a person’s life is at risk and there are no other available treatments. However, there is no approval for full-scale clinical trials using animal organs. Luhan Yang, chief executive of Qihan Biotech in Hangzhou, China, stated that Xenotransplants can “provide hope and life for patients and their families.”
In the United States alone, nearly 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant, and over 3,000 people die every year while still waiting, which could be significantly reduced with the practice of Xenotransplantation.
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