On March 16, a surgical team at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States accomplished the world's first living human transplant of a pig kidney. The recipient, 62-year-old Richard Slayman, was suffering from end-stage renal failure. The transplant operation was permitted under the "compassionate use" approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The transplanted kidney was sourced from a miniature pig which had undergone CRISPR - Cas9 genome editing by scientists at eGenesis. As many as 69 animal genes were modified. These genomic edits were aimed at preventing the rejection of the donated organ and reducing the risk of virus transmission from the organ to the recipient.
The shortage of human organs for transplantation has long been a global challenge. This breakthrough in pig kidney transplantation offers new hope for patients with end - stage organ failure. However, it also raises concerns about long - term safety and potential immune responses. Scientists will closely monitor the patient's condition and continue to research to further improve the technology of xenotransplantation.
