In a remarkable stride for medical science, surgeons in the United States are celebrating a significant achievement as a transplanted pig kidney continues to perform normally within the body of a deceased human patient.
This milestone, heralded by surgeons at the New York University Langone Transplant Institute, carries immense promise in addressing the pressing global demand for organ donations.
Announced on Wednesday, this feat signifies the longest duration a pig kidney has functioned within a human recipient, albeit a brain-dead one.
Institute Director Robert Montgomery shared with reporters, “We have a genetically edited pig kidney surviving for over a month in a human.”
The results of this groundbreaking endeavor provide “further assurances” for forthcoming studies involving living patients.
The pig kidney had been genetically modified to eliminate a specific gene responsible for producing biomolecules that are targeted and rejected by the human immune system.
Montgomery explained, “We’ve now gathered more evidence to show that, at least in kidneys, just eliminating the gene that triggers a hyperacute rejection may be enough… for optimal performance, potentially in the long-term.”
The potential of cross-species transplants holds immense significance, aiming to alleviate the immense demand for life-saving organs.
The United States currently records over 103,000 individuals in need of organ transplants, with 88,000 of them seeking kidneys. Tragically, many lives are lost each year while awaiting suitable donors.
This momentous achievement began with the transplantation of a pig kidney into the body of Maurice “Mo” Miller, a 57-year-old man who passed away unexpectedly.
His family’s decision to donate his body for scientific research facilitated this groundbreaking experiment.
Researchers are committed to diligently observing the progress of the experiment as it enters its second month.
The hope is to eventually progress to a stage where animal organs can be utilized to save living human patients, with donated cadavers proving to be invaluable in advancing research and experimentation.
While acknowledging the emotional complexity, Mary Miller-Duffy, the sister of the deceased man, shared her decision to participate, stating, “I think this is what my brother would want.
So I offered my brother to them.” She added that her brother’s contribution to medical progress ensures that he will “live on forever.”
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently considering permitting targeted studies involving pig hearts and kidneys transplanted into volunteer patients.
Achievements such as the one at NYU hold the potential to accelerate these pioneering efforts.
Additionally, the University of Alabama at Birmingham also reported a notable success, with pig kidneys functioning seamlessly for seven days in another donated body.
