Pig kidney transplanted in the human body continues to function for over a month
According to American surgeons, a genetically modified pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead patient’s body is working well for over a month. This is an encouraging development in the effort to meet the high demand for organ transplantation in the country.
On Wednesday, surgeons from New York University’s Langone Transplant Institute stated that this pig kidney, which has been working in the patient’s body even after the person’s brain death, can provide an alternative solution. The head of the institute, Dr. Robert Montgomery said “We have a genetically modified pig kidney that has been functioning in a human body for more than a month.”
He mentioned that these findings offer more “assurance” for potential organ recipients. The genetically modified pig kidney did not contain a specific gene that triggers human immune responses, creating macro-molecules that could harm human tolerance. Montgomery said about the kidneys, “We have now shown further evidence in the kidney that this gene can only be silenced to the extent that it can be left intact at least in the kidney, at least for hyper-acute rejection, to successfully manage a restored organ within a human, alongside clinically accepted long-term medication.”
On July 14th, Montgomery successfully replaced one of a deceased person’s own kidneys with a genetically modified pig kidney and observed that it began producing urine immediately. He said, “It’s working better than a human kidney.”
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57-year-old Maurice “Mo” Miller’s family donated his body for the experiment in hopes that soon the pig kidney transplant can help reduce the shortage of organ replacement.
Kidneys not only create urine but also perform various other functions in the body. Dr. James Luck, a transplant surgeon at the University of Edinburgh, demonstrated the functionality of gene-edited pig organs in published laboratory experiments in the JAMA Surgery journal. He stated that a seven-day test showed they could “provide life-sustaining renal function.”
For decades, attempts at xenotransplantation (transplanting animal tissues into humans) have failed due to the foreign tissue’s rejection. Now, scientists are using such genetically modified pigs whose organs have been altered to integrate better with the human body. These cross-species transplants could potentially provide life-saving organs for people on waiting lists, as they are better integrated with the recipient’s body.
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FAQs
Which country has made pig kidney transplants?
Ans. The USA. New York University (NYU) Langone.
Why can pig kidneys be used in humans?
Ans. Pig kidneys can be used in humans because their structure and function are similar to human kidneys.
