Groundbreaking pig organ transplant trial gets underway
World’s first gene-edited pig kidney transplants begin in clinical trial
- The world's first clinical trial involving the transplantation of gene-edited pig kidneys into human recipients has commenced.
- United Therapeutics announced the initial procedure was successfully carried out at NYU Langone Health, marking a significant advancement in xenotransplantation.
- The trial, led by Dr Robert Montgomery, will initially involve six participants and could expand to 50, with another company, eGenesis, also preparing a similar trial.
- Previous “compassionate use” transplants have shown mixed results, with pig kidneys lasting up to 271 days before recipients returned to dialysis.
- This research aims to address the critical shortage of donor organs, with over 100,000 people in the U.S. awaiting transplants, by genetically altering pig organs to be more compatible with human immune systems.