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The first person to receive a pig kidney transplantation has choke just two months after he underwent the groundbreaking ceremony procedure .
Rick Slayman , a 62 - twelvemonth - sure-enough from Weymouth , Massachusetts , had agenetically qualify pig kidney placed in his bodyas part of a four - hour , pioneering surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital on March 16 .
Years before getting a pig kidney, Slayman, pictured above, had already received a human kidney transplant that started to fail and had been on dialysis for years.
Slayman hadend - stage kidney diseaseand had previously receive a human kidney transplant , which record signs of bankruptcy after a few yr . His doctors proposed the experimental pig kidney transplant as Slayman was restarting dialysis and experiencing grievous complication .
The doctors hop that the pig bed kidney could last years , CNN reported , but , as such a graft has n’t been done before , there was precariousness about how well it would take . Slayman died just weeks after his surgery , but his medical team says there ’s no evidence the transplant was colligate to Slayman ’s death .
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" The Mass General transplant team is profoundly sadden at the sudden exit of Mr. Rick Slayman , " the hospital share in astatementon Saturday ( May 11 ) . " We have no indication that it was the consequence of his late transplant . " The statement did not detail Slayman ’s campaign of death .
As of March 2024 , more than 100,000 Americans are on the wait list for electric organ transplanting , 89,000 of which ask a kidney . Each day , 17 people on these lists die . transfer genetically modified organ from animate being into humans , a outgrowth hump as xenotransplantation , is seen as a bright new wayto potentially address the shortageof available organs from human bestower .
Before Slayman ’s procedure , scientists had only conducted data-based slob kidney transplant inbrain - drained reed organ bestower , as aproof - of - conception for the operation . However , since then , another exist patient has since pick up one — a 54 - year - sometime who also receive a affectionateness heart along with the pig kidney .
The first person to receive a pig organ of any sort was a Maryland gentleman who undergo the world ’s first pig - heart transplant in 2022 . Hedied shortly afterthe surgery , likely as a outcome of being infected with a pig computer virus that triggered an instigative response .
In Slayman ’s case , scientist usedCRISPR factor - editingtechnology to change the genes of the conferrer sloven , removing I that could propel the humanimmune systemto attack the kidney and impart single that could help forestall transplant rejection . The affected role also simultaneously received antibody - based treatments and immune - suppressing drug to help forbid organ rejection .
The kidney itself follow from a companionship called eGenesis , which previously successfully screen the transplant in monkeys . On average , the monkeys live foraround 176 mean solar day , or nearly six calendar month , after surgeryin these experiments .
In the hospital ’s affirmation , Slayman ’s mob said they were thankful to spend his last few week with him .
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" [ The medical squad ’s ] tremendous efforts leading the xenotransplantation give our family unit seven more weeks with Rick , and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts , " they wrote .
" gazillion of people worldwide have come to know Rick ’s story , " they append . " We feel — and still feel — comfort by the optimism he leave patients desperately hold back for a transplant . "
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