A surgical team at NYU Langone Health has successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain-dead patient, marking a significant milestone in the field of animal-to-human organ transplantation. The procedure, which took place in July, involved using a pig kidney that had been genetically engineered to remove a sugar molecule that triggers an immune attack and causes organ rejection. The kidney functioned normally, producing urine and clearing waste from the patient’s body. This achievement follows two previous pig kidney transplants conducted by the same team in September and November 2021. While the patient was already brain-dead, the successful transplant paves the way for future clinical trials involving living patients in need of kidney transplants. The use of genetically modified pig organs could potentially address the critical shortage of human organs available for transplantation.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/17/health/third-pig-kidney-transplant/index.html