First human to receive modified pig kidney dies

The first person to undergo a genetically modified pig kidney transplant procedure has died, the hospital that performed the surgery and his family said Saturday.

Rick Slayman died suddenly, his family and doctors said, nearly two months after receiving his kidney in a four-hour procedure in March. The Associated Press reported that surgeons believed the pig’s kidney would last at least two years.

The transplant team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which performed the procedure, said they had “no indication” that his death was caused by the transplant. They said they were “deeply saddened” by the news of his death.

“Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope for countless transplant patients around the world and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

“We offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Slayman’s family and loved ones as they remember an extraordinary person whose generosity and kindness touched everyone who knew him,” the statement continued.

The family thanked the doctors in a statement.

“Our family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our beloved Rick, but takes great comfort in knowing that he inspired so many. Millions of people around the world have heard Rick’s story. We felt – and still feel – comforted by the optimism he provided to patients desperately waiting for a transplant,” the family’s statement said.

They expressed their gratitude to the MGH medical team. “His enormous efforts leading xenotransplantation gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during this time will remain in our minds and hearts,” they continued.

Slayman, who had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, first received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor in 2018. He had been on dialysis, a treatment that helps the body remove fluids and waste when the kidneys cannot, for eight years. before that. procedure.

The transplanted kidney began to show signs of failure and Slayman resumed dialysis in May. He said his nephrologist recommended he have a pig kidney transplant, which was approved in February under a Food and Drug Administration Expanded Access Protocol, allowing a patient to receive experimental treatment when there are no comparable treatment options.

There are more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network. The network said about 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ.

Scientists have been exploring the practice of xenotransplantation – transferring tissues or organs from one species to another – in recent years. There have been at least two pig heart transplants into living patients, but both died months after receiving the new organ.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story