Mass. General reports first ever transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney into a person

Massachusetts General reports today that on Saturday, its surgeons transplanted a "genetically-edited pig kidney" into a man living with end-stage kidney disease - the first time such a procedure has been done.

The pig kidney was provided by eGenesis of Cambridge from a pig donor that was genetically-edited using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans. Additionally, scientists inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans. Over the past five years, MGH and eGenesis have conducted extensive collaborative research, with the findings published in Nature in 2023.

The surgery was done under a federal "compassionate use" for experimental procedures; Mass General and eGenesis say that if the process does work well, it could eventually lead to a supply of organs for patients who now sometimes endure long waits for human transplants.

The hospital reports the recipient, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman of Weymouth, is doing well and is expected to be discharged soon. In addition to the new kidney, he is also getting new immune-suppressing drugs.

“The real hero today is the patient, Mr. Slayman, as the success of this pioneering surgery, once deemed unimaginable, would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to embark on a journey into uncharted medical territory. As the global medical community celebrates this monumental achievement, Mr. Slayman becomes a beacon of hope for countless individuals suffering from end-stage renal disease and opens a new frontier in organ transplantation,” said Joren C. Madsen, MD, DPhil, Director of the MGH Transplant Center.

Slayman had received a more traditional human kidney transplant from a cadaver in 2018, but it started to fail last year, forcing him back onto dialysis - which caused complications that required twice-weekly visits to the hospital for "de-clotting and surgical revisions:"

My nephrologist, Dr. Winfred Williams, MD and the Transplant Center team suggested a pig kidney transplant, carefully explaining the pros and cons of this procedure. I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive.