62-year-old man who received first pig kidney transplant dies almost 2 months later

Richard Slayman, the 62-year-old man who made history by receiving the world’s first genetically modified pig kidney transplant in March, has died, his family announced Saturday.

Slayman underwent a successful four-hour surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and was released just two weeks later in April. Although the cause of his sudden death remains unknown, the hospital confirmed that it was not related to the transplant. ABC news reported.

“The Mass General transplant team is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mr. Rick Slayman. We have no indication that this was the result of his recent transplant,” Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement.

Richard Slayman, a resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts, battled type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure for years before receiving the transplant. Before the groundbreaking pig kidney transplant, Slayman had a long history of treating type 2 diabetes and hypertension. He also depended on dialysis for several years before receiving a human kidney transplant in December 2018, performed by the same team at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Unfortunately, the transplanted kidney from the human donor worked for about five years before showing signs of rejection. In May 2023, Mr. Slayman had to return to dialysis treatment, which significantly impacted his quality of life, according to the hospital.

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

The kidney used in the transplant came from eGenesis, a pharmaceutical company based in Cambridge. This pioneering organ was harvested from a genetically modified pig using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. According to Massachusetts General Hospital, the modification process involved removing incompatible porcine genes and introducing specific human genes to increase compatibility with the recipient’s body.

In a heartfelt statement, Mr. Slayman’s family expressed their deepest gratitude to the doctors and entire medical staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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

“We are extremely grateful to his care team at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Brigham, especially Dr. Williams, Dr. Kawai and Dr. Riella, who truly did everything they could to help give him a second chance.” Rick. His enormous efforts leading the xenotransplantation gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during this time will remain in our minds and hearts.”

Slayman’s family revealed that one of their driving forces behind the transplant was the desire to offer hope to the countless individuals struggling with end-stage organ failure and desperately waiting for a life-saving transplant.

“Rick achieved that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever. His legacy will inspire patients, researchers and healthcare professionals everywhere.”