Researchers: Pig Kidney Transplanted into Human Functions for 32 Days

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Facts

  • Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and New York University (NYU) Langone Health both independently reported research on Wednesday that shows genetically modified pig kidneys transplanted into humans functioned well for one week and a record 32 days, respectively.1
  • These results give promise to xenotransplantation, where humans receive organ transplants from other animals, as animal organs are typically rejected by the human body in the minutes after the transplant. The NYU team says the pig kidney has the functions of a healthy human kidney.2
  • The UAB results were published in the JAMA Surgery journal, describing a case where a brain-dead man received a genetically modified pig kidney. The study authors assert that while the findings are limited, xenotransplantation could save the lives of thousands waiting for organ donations.3
  • Though the NYU study hasn't yet been peer-reviewed or published, the director of NYU Langone said that it appears the pig kidney in their patient will function like a human organ, as the researchers plan to observe their record-shattering kidney's performance for its second month in a brain-dead patient.4
  • The pig kidneys were genetically modified to remove a gene that would cause the human immune system to destroy it immediately. Surgeons also attached the pig's thymus gland, which trains immune cells, to the kidney in the hopes of increasing human tolerance.4
  • The pig kidneys were able to produce urine in the human patients, with the UAB study being the first to show that the kidneys can filter creatinine, a waste product that must be filtered from blood. More than 800K Americans have kidney failure and 100K are waiting for a transplant.1

Sources: 1The New York Times, 2The Washington Post, 3CBS, and 4Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The Washington Post. Thousands of Americans die every year waiting for an organ transplant, as the dream of xenotransplantation finally seems within reach. Leaps and bounds have been made in a lifesaving field of research, but the FDA and insurers need to be ready to help get it to the American people. There is now enough evidence to start clinical trials in living patients, and organ shortages could finally become a thing of the past if we move quickly.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Euronews. Pigs are sentient creatures who feel fear and pain, and should not be treated as a source of spare parts. These genetically modified animals live miserable lives, and their organs could pose a health risk to humans, carrying diseases unknown to us. There are real steps we could take to stop the organ shortage, such as making organ donation opt-out and using engineered human tissue, that do not involve this unconscionable practice.