Doctors in Boston say they have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient with end-stage renal disease.
Thursday’s announcement marks the first time a pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person, according to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Previous attempts have involved temporary transplants from brain-dead donors, and two pig heart transplants were unsuccessful.
Doctors said the patient, Richard “Rick” Slayman of Weymouth, Mass., is recovering well after surgery earlier this month and is expected to return home from the hospital soon. .
“Massachusetts General researchers and clinicians continue to push the boundaries of science to transform medicine and solve the critical health issues patients face every day,” said Anne Klibanski, M.D., president and CEO of Massachusetts General Hospital. “Nearly seventy years after the first successful kidney transplant, our clinicians have once again demonstrated our commitment to delivering innovative treatments and helping to reduce the burden of disease for our patients and others around the world.”
The milestone represents progress in xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs to treat humans, after decades of failure, with recent efforts focused on modifying pig organs to make them more compatible with humans.
This report received some information from The Associated Press.
