The recipient of the first-ever transplant of a genetically edited porcine kidney into a living human at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) was discharged from the hospital after two weeks and is doing well despite experiencing cellular rejection, a common occurrence in human kidney transplants. The patient, identified as Richard Slayman, had a history of health issues including type 2 diabetes and hypertension and had previously received a kidney transplant from a deceased human donor in 2018. The genetically engineered kidneys were developed over five years using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology and have shown promising results in both animal and human trials. Research is ongoing to further improve the viability of porcine organ transplants in humans, potentially offering a better solution for patients in need of organ transplants.
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First-Ever Porcine Kidney Transplant Patient Discharged
