A pig kidney was successfully transplanted into a human!

Although the shortage of organs available for transplantation is a serious problem, Massachusetts General Hospital took a monumental step by announcing the first successful transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney into a human patient. The surgical procedure, which took place on March 16 and lasted four hours, opens up new prospects for increasing the number of organs available and reducing patient waiting times.

Revolutionary medical innovation

Before transplantation, the pig kidney was genetically modified to improve its compatibilitycompatibility with the human body. The genetic modification was carried out using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, eliminating pig genes that can cause rejection and integrating human genes that promote organ acceptance.

The transplant was performed on a patient suffering from diabetesdiabetes type 2 andhypertensionhypertension. He received a human kidney transplant for the first time; THAT corrupt practicescorrupt practices lasted five years. The success of this transplant is the culmination of decades of research and innovation in the field of xenotransplantation, or transplantation between varietyvariety another. This advance could significantly reduce waiting times for patients needing kidney transplants, providing a viable alternative to the shortage of human organs. Currently, more than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ, and every day 17 people die because a transplant is not available.

Doctors successfully carried out experimental xenotransplantation of a pig kidney into humans

Article from Julie KernJulie Kernpublished August 17, 2023

This is a world first: a genetically modified pig kidney functioned normally and did not cause rejection in a human experiment. One more step forward xenograftsxenograftsa long-time dream of doctors who hope to solve the problem of organ shortages.

Kidneys are among the organs that doctors most often transplant. In 2022, 3,376 people out of 5,494 recipients of all organs combined underwent kidney transplantation in France. Regardless, this is not enough to meet the demand for kidney transplants, and it is estimated that 40% of people on the waiting list actually receive a transplant within one to three years of registration; that’s 15% after waiting five years.

To combat the organ shortage, some scientists are working on xenografts—transplanting organs from animals into humans. In October 2021, American doctors performed the first human pig kidney xenograft. Now doctors from the University of Alabama have repeated the experiment and published the details in a journal. Jama Surgery.

Successful xenograft

Male 50 years old, able brain deathbrain deathtwo genetically modified pig kidneys containing 10 genes were transplanted. fake Or shoot down to make them more compatible with the human body and limit the risk of rejection. After the xenograft, the pig’s kidneys produced several liters of urine and had time to filter it. creatinecreatineA wastewaste metabolism produced by muscles. These two parameters suggest that the two transplanted kidneys are performing their functions perfectly.

At this point, the number of successful kidney xenografts can be counted on one hand, and it is not yet certain that they are safe and effective in the general population and can be performed as easily as a traditional transplant.

World’s first xenotransplantation of a pig kidney to a human

Article published on October 24, 2021 by: Celine DelusarcheCeline Delusarche

This is a world first: a genetically modified pig kidney functioned normally and did not cause rejection in a human experiment. Another step towards xenografts, a long-time dream of doctors who hope to solve the problem of organ shortages.

The pig kidney was attached to a recently deceased patient whose family had given their consent. The kidney was able to function for three days, providing excellent filtration and urinary functions without causing rejection, the team of Professor Robert Montgomery, who performed the operation at Langone Health, New York, reported on October 20.

The kidney was taken from a pig that had been genetically modified to eliminate the gene that produces alphagal. sugarsugar absent in humans and usually causes transplant rejectiontransplant rejection animals. This pig, produced by United Therapeutics, was approved in December 2020 Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug Administration (US Food and Drug Administration). Within three days, the kidney was attached to the blood vessels and continued to function outside the body. ” Speed creatininecreatinine patients returned to normal levels immediately after transplantation, indicating that the kidney is performing its function wellsays Professor Robert Montgomery. This gave even better results than with some human kidneys from deceased people. “.

Twelve people die every day in the US while waiting for a kidney.

” More than half of dialysis patients see their condition significantly worsen or die before they can receive a transplant. » Robert Montgomery, himself a recent heart transplant recipient, testifies. ” I know what it’s like to be unsure of when an organ will be available. “In the United States, 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant, and every day twelve die because they did not receive a kidney on time. This experience could lead to actual transplants for patients with advanced kidney failure. within one or two years ” says Robert Montgomery.

40 years of advances in xenografts

Xenografts (transplants between different species) have been a long-time dream of doctors who hope to breed animals as “organ reservoirs.” The first real test came in 1984, when a baby nicknamed “Baby Fay” lived for 21 days with a baboon’s heart. Since then, research has expanded and doctors have turned more to pork; the latter is easy to grow, has fast growth and organs the same size as humans. In addition, its use as a “reservoir” raises fewer ethical issues than the use primatesprimates For example.

Heart valves, tendons, pieces of skin or retinaretina pigs are already used as temporary or definitive transplants in humans. But today’s operation shows that entire organs can be successfully transplanted, which could pave the way for other types of transplants. In 2018, a baboon lived for six months with a pig’s heart.

However, there are still many uncertainties regarding this method (the details of which have not yet been published). First we will need to make sure that the graft is viable at durationduration. Some also fear that xenografts may facilitate the passage of virusvirus pig in humans. But for Robert Montgomery, the risk is smaller than allowing patients awaiting transplants to die or see their health rapidly deteriorate.

Article from ADIT BE Germany, published 08/16/2005.

For many terminal organ diseases, transplantation is the only option for survival. However, there are not enough organ donors in the world. An alternative is xenotransplantation, which is the use of animal organs and tissues to save human patients.

With all transplants, but especially with this type of transplant, one must be wary of immune reactions. “Pig organ transplantation into primates causing a complex cascade of rejection mechanisms”, reports Prof. Dr. Wolf, “We can only overcome this phenomenon in the long term through genetic modification of donor pigs.”

Team Prof. Dr. Eckhard Wolf and Dr. Regina Klose in Munich managed to breed a genetically modified TRAIL pig, whose organs are a priori protected from human immune defenses. This pig TRAIL presents as a marker on the surface of its cells proteinprotein human “TNF-alpha-related inducing apoptosis” ligandligand“. They are thus protected in vitroin vitro against cells the immune systemthe immune system Human. Further research will have to show whether this mechanism also works in living animals. This will undoubtedly require combining different genetic modifications of donor pigs.