A world first! US doctors transplant gene-edited pig kidneys into patients

　　China News Service, March 22. According to CNN, on the 21st local time, Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States stated that the hospital successfully performed the world's first transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney into a living human recipient. Surgery in the body.

Image source: Screenshot of CNN report

　　According to reports, doctors at the hospital performed the transplant on the 16th local time. The recipient of the transplant was 62-year-old end-stage renal disease patient Richard Slimane. The operation lasted four hours. The patient is recovering well and is expected to be discharged soon.

　　According to previous reports, American doctors have successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a brain-dead person, marking the first time it has been transplanted into a living human recipient. The hospital stated in a press release on the 21st that the success of this operation was a milestone in the emerging field of xenotransplantation.

　　In addition, doctors at the hospital believe that transplant patients' new kidneys can continue to last for several years, but also admit that there are still many unknowns about the transplantation of animal organs into the human body.

　　The pig kidneys transplanted during the operation came from eGenesis Bio, a company that uses gene editing to make pig kidneys better compatible with the human body.

　　According to reports, Slimane, who received the transplant this time, has been a member of the Massachusetts General Hospital transplant program for 11 years. He had previously received a human kidney transplant in 2018, but in 2023 his kidneys showed signs of failure. At that time, doctors suggested that he try to receive a pig kidney transplant.

　　Experts say xenotransplantation, in which animal organs are transplanted into humans, is crucial to solving the organ shortage problem. But researchers at the hospital also said that while the new development is significant, more research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of pig kidney transplants.

　　According to previous reports, the University of Maryland in the United States has also completed two pig heart transplants into humans. However, one of the two transplant patients died two months later, and the other only survived for six weeks.