"That's not the only milestone the Mass General team is marking: A pig kidney has kept another New Hampshire man, Tim Andrews, off dialysis for a record seven months and counting. Until now, the longest that a gene-edited pig organ transplant was known to last was 130 days. Based on lessons from the New Hampshire men and a handful of other one-off attempts, the Food and Drug Administration approved pig producer eGenesis to begin a rigorous study of kidney xenotransplants."
"More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. As an alternative, scientists are genetically altering pigs so their organs are more humanlike, less likely to be immediately attacked and destroyed by people's immune system. Initial experiments, two hearts and two kidneys, were short-lived and included very ill patients. Chinese researchers also recently announced a kidney xenotransplant."
Massachusetts General Hospital performed a pig-to-human kidney transplant on a 54-year-old New Hampshire man who is faring well after a June 14 operation. A gene-edited pig kidney sustained another patient, Tim Andrews, off dialysis for seven months, exceeding the previous 130-day record. The Food and Drug Administration approved pig producer eGenesis to launch a rigorous kidney xenotransplant study informed by these cases. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most needing kidneys, and thousands die waiting. Scientists are genetically altering pigs to make organs more humanlike and less susceptible to immune attack. Early xenotransplant experiments were short-lived and involved very ill patients.
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