Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital successfully completed the world's first transplant of a genetically-edited pig kidney, the Boston-based system said March 21.
Richard Slayman, 62, underwent the four-hour procedure on March 16 as a treatment for end-stage kidney disease. The pig kidney, provided by Cambridge, Mass.-based eGenesis, contained 69 genomic edits to improve its compatibility with humans.
The procedure marks a historical milestone in the field of xenotransplantation and could offer a potential solution to the global organ shortage, according to Massachusetts General.
"Our hope is that this transplant approach will offer a lifeline to millions of patients worldwide who are suffering from kidney failure," Tatsuo Kawai, MD, PhD, director of Massachusetts General's Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance, said in a news release.
Mr. Slayman is recovering well and expected to be discharged from the hospital soon, the hospital said.
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