First Human With Pig Kidney Transplant Dies Two Months After Successful Operation
Two months after the surgery, the first man to get a kidney transplant from a genetically edited pig has died.
FMTBLOG previously reported that the first human to get a successful pig transplant, read here
The surgery was done at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in March. On May 12, the hospital reported that 62-year-old Richard “Rick” Slayman had died.
They said there was no proof that the donation caused his death.
Other organ transplants from genetically edited pigs have not worked before. Still, the operation on Mr Slayman, who had a kidney disease that was almost beyond treatment, was hailed as an essential moment.
In addition to kidney problems, Mr. Slayman had high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
His new kidney came from a person in 2018, but after five years, it started to fail.
When he got a kidney from a pig on March 16, his doctors told him he no longer needed dialysis because the new organ was working well.
“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 wrote in a statement.
Xenotransplantation is when live cells, tissues, or organs are moved from one species to another.
MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered apologies to his family.
Family members of Mr. Slayman said that his story was an example.
“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,” they said.
“Rick achieved that goal, and his hope and optimism will live forever.
“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.
While Mr Slayman got the first pig kidney to be transferred into a person, it is not the first pig organ used in a transplant operation.
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Two other patients have gotten pig heart transplants, but those treatments were unsuccessful, as the receivers died a few weeks later.
In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had refused the organ, which is a regular risk in transplants.
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