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After the transplant of a pig’s heart in humans a few weeks ago, here is the kidney transplant! Indeed, a few months ago in the United States, a medical team achieved the technical feat of transplanting a pair of genetically modified pig kidneys into a brain-dead man.
It’s a first. Last September, a medical team successfully transplanted a pair of genetically modified kidneys into a brain-dead man. Porcine kidneys were placed in place of the recipient’s kidneys. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham performed this xenograft.
Ten modified genes
The transplanted kidneys underwent a dozen key genetic changes to make them suitable for transplantation into humans. The modified kidneys, once transplanted, filtered blood, produced urine and were not immediately rejected. They even remained viable until the end of the study, 77 hours after the transplant. Before this operation in humans, genetically modified pig kidneys were tested on primates.
In addition to these tests, the evaluation of these genetically modified pig kidneys has provided important information about their potential safety and efficacy in recipients.
The xenograft to the aid of organ donation?
It is the genetic modification which has made it possible to reduce immune rejection and which makes this type of transplant possible. These positive results demonstrate how xenotransplantation could contribute to solving the global shortage of grafts. Xenografts could help thousands of people facing organ failure, disease or injury. Why choose a pig? Because it can have similar sized organs to humans and it reproduces easily. “This game-changing moment in the history of medicine represents a major milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, which is arguably the best solution to the organ shortage crisis.”said Dr. Jayme Locke, surgeon and lead author of the study.
David Ayares, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Revivicor who originated this genetically engineered pig kidney, says, “We are confident that this UKidney can prove to be a lifesaving solution for thousands of people on dialysis, subject to the success of our clinical trials and obtaining FDA approval over the next few years.”.
New scientific breakthrough
In France, the Academy of Medicine has ruled on porcine heart transplantation. She believes that “if the success of this heart xenograft is confirmed, attempts will rapidly multiply with a view to reducing the permanent imbalance, in adults and children, between the needs and the number of grafts” . The Academy also expects “to rich ethical debates on the use of animal organs, particularly pigs, but also on the risk of transmission of viral pathologies, in particular in the context of the current pandemic”. However, it welcomes this new scientific advance.