Groundbreaking discoveries are a ray of hope in the fields of medicine and science. Such advancements are incredible news as they tackle even the most concerning medical issues. Doctors at NYU Langone in New York City have announced the fascinating news of transplanting a Gene-edited pig kidney into a brain-dead person!
This achievement will lead to many successful transplant procedures including non-human cells and organs. Let’s take a closer look at this incredible transplant.
Surgical Transplant
NYU Surgical team removed the kidneys of a human recipient and replaced them with a pig kidney. The kidney transplant was done along with the thymus in July 2023.
Before placing the kidneys inside the human body, it underwent some changes. Doctors have removed a sugar molecule on the surface of pig cells known as the ‘alpha-gal.’ This molecule triggers rare allergies to red meat. Not just that, it also contributes to the body’s organ rejection.
The human recipient kidney seemed to function well for a month! However, the team will monitor its function for a total of two months.
“The one-month kidney biopsies and kidney tests show no evidence of rejection and normal renal function. The pig kidney appears to replace all of the important tasks that the human kidney manages,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery, a professor and chair of the Department of surgery at NYU Langone Health and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.
The thymus is also transplanted underneath the outer layer of the kidney. It has been shown to protect the transplanted non-human kidneys against the immune system of the human recipient.
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Human Recipient
Maurice Miller is a transplant recipient who is just 57 years old. Diagnosed with an eight-centimeter-wide tumor on the right side of his brain, Maurice didn’t wake up after his biopsy procedure. However, his family they are glad to have him on the test for such a historical transplant.
“So, the doctors did a head scan and they found that there was bleeding on the brain and that’s why he wasn’t waking up,” said Maurice’s sister Miller-Duff.
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Living human xenotransplantation clinical trials are currently not allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is because of the risk of transmitting viruses. But since Maurice has not still affected by such a virus, the doctors at NYU Langone are hopeful that this could be the next groundbreaking step in surgical transplant.
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Conclusion
The doctors at NYU Langone have made a groundbreaking transplant that could tackle many medical issues. The doctors have transplanted a Gene-edited pig kidney into a brain-dead person! For over a month, the the human recipient was functioning well with the kidneys and it seems to perform the important tasks of a kidney. This is a hope for many as this could mean potential in the development of human to non-human organs and cells transplant!
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