Richard Slayman, the first living patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, died nearly two months after he underwent the procedure, the hospital that performed the surgery said on Saturday (11th May 2024). A day later, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) said that there was no indication that his death was a result of the transplant.
Richard “Rick” Slayman (62) was suffering from end-stage kidney disease when he underwent an operation in March this year at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Surgeons said they believed the pig kidney would last for at least two years.
Apart from kidney disease, Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
In 2018, Slayman had a human kidney transplant, but it started failing after five years, forcing him to frequently need dialysis. While transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, Slayman’s operation to receive a genetically modified pig kidney was hailed as a historic milestone. Following his operation on 16th March, his doctors confirmed that he no longer needed dialysis as the new organ was said to be functioning well.
According to the hospital, the pig kidney used for the transplant was provided by a Massachusetts biotech company called eGenesis. It had been genetically modified the pig kidney to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes.
After Slayman’s demise, in a statement, MGH said, “Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation.”
MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family. While his relatives said his story was an inspiration.
They noted, “Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive. Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.”
Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation refers to healing human patients by transplanting living cells, tissues, or organs from one species (animals) to another. Several efforts in the past to perform xenotransplantation have failed because the human immune system immediately destroys foreign animal tissue. As a result, recent attempts have involved genetically modified pig organs.
While Slayman is the first living patient to receive the genetically modified pig kidney transplant, earlier pig kidneys had been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors.
Additionally, surgeons in the past have also attempted to transplant other pig organs into the human body. Two other patients had received pig heart transplants. However, those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later. In one case, there were signs that the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.
Meanwhile, organ shortages are a chronic problem around the world. As per an estimate, over 3 lakh patients are on the waiting list for organ donations in India. Approximately 20 individuals die daily while awaiting organ transplants due to the shortage.
