Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney into a brain-dead man and that continues to function well after 32 days.
Key points
- This represents the longest period that a gene-edited pig kidney has functioned in a human, and the latest step toward the advent of an alternate, sustainable supply of organs for transplant.
- This work demonstrates a pig kidney—with only one genetic modification and without experimental medications or devices—can replace the function of a human kidney for at least 32 days without being rejected.
- Attempts at animal-to-human transplants (xenotransplantation) have failed for decades as people’s immune systems attacked the foreign tissue.
- Now researchers are using pigs genetically modified so their organs are more humanlike are renewing interest in so-called .
- Last year, University of Maryland surgeons tried to save a dying man with a pig heart — and he survived for two months.
Alpha-gal
- The first hurdle to overcome in xenotransplants is preventing hyperacute rejection, which typically occurs just minutes after an animal organ is connected to the human circulatory system.
- By knocking out the gene that encodes the biomolecule known as alpha-gal—which has been identified as responsible for a rapid antibody-mediated rejection of pig organs by humans—immediate rejection has been avoided in all five xenotransplants at NYU Langone.
- Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-borne illness that leads to allergic reactions from eating red meat, including meat of cows, deer, pigs or goats.
Xenotransplantation
- According to the US-FDA, Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either (a) live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source, or (b) human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs.
