World

Pig kidney functioning in human for more than a month

A genetically-modified pig kidney is continuing to function well a record-breaking 32 days after it was transplanted into a brain dead patient, a medical center said Wednesday.

The experimental procedure is part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species organ donation and thus reducing transplant waiting lists.

There are more than 103,000 people waiting for transplants in the United States, 88,000 of whom need kidneys.

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Pig kidney

“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,” said surgeon Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.

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Montgomery carried out the first genetically modified pig kidney transplant to a human in September 2021, followed by a similar procedure in November 2021. There have since been a handful of other cases.

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While previous such transplants have involved up to 10 modifications, the latest experiment involved just one: the gene involved in the so-called “hyperacute rejection,” which would otherwise occur within minutes of an animal organ being connected to a human circulatory system.

By “knocking out” the gene responsible for a biomolecule called alpha-gal — which otherwise would be a prime target for human antibodies — the NYU Langone team were able to stop immediate rejection.

“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 along with clinically approved immunosuppressive drugs to successfully manage the transplant in a human for optimal performance—potentially in the long-term,” said Montgomery.

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They also embedded the pig’s thymus gland — responsible for educating the immune system — in the kidney’s outer layer, in order to prevent a more delayed host rejection.

Both of the patient’s own kidneys were removed, then one pig kidney was transplanted, and started immediately producing urine.

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World’s first pig-to-human transplant

Monitoring showed that levels of creatinine, a waste product, were at optimal levels, and there was no evidence of rejection.

Crucially, no evidence of porcine cytomegalovirus — which may trigger organ failure — have been detected, and the team plan to continue monitoring for another month.

The research was made possible by the family of the 57-year-old male patient who had elected to make his body available for science.

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WATCH: 35 years later – Miracle kidney transplant recipient and donor still in good health

In January 2022, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical School carried out the world’s first pig-to-human transplant on a living patient. He died two months after the milestone, with the presence of porcine cytomegalovirus in the organ later blamed for his death.

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By Agence France Presse