Director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, Dr. Robert Montgomery, has expressed optimism regarding xenotransplantation as a potential solution to the national organ shortage. NYU Langone Health recently reported the successful case of a genetically modified pig kidney functioning within a human body for a record-breaking 61 days. This marks a significant milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, where organs or tissue from one species, in this case, pigs, are transplanted into humans.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Montgomery, who is renowned for his expertise in the field. This particular case was the fifth xenotransplant performed by the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, with the first xenotransplant in history also being performed by Dr. Montgomery. The successful procedure involved a kidney retrieved from a genetically modified GalSafe pig, which had a gene responsible for rapid organ rejection in humans removed.
The potential of xenotransplantation is significant, especially considering the organ shortage crisis in the United States. Currently, over 103,000 individuals are on the transplant waiting list, with the majority in need of a kidney. Last year, only around 26,000 kidney transplants took place, leaving many individuals without access to life-saving treatment. Xenotransplantation offers a promising solution by utilizing genetically modified pig organs, potentially increasing the availability of organs for transplantation.
The successful 61-day performance of the pig kidney in a human recipient demonstrates the viability of single-gene knockout pig organs for transplantation. This finding is significant as it eliminates the need for multiple genetic modifications seen in previous pig organ transplants. Dr. Montgomery and his team will now analyze the data collected during the observation period, with plans to publish more detailed findings in the future. The progress made in xenotransplantation brings hope for the thousands of individuals awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
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- NYU Langone Health reported on September 14 the successful conclusion of the longest documented case in which a genetically modified pig kidney successfully functioned in a human body for a span of 61 days. According to NYU Langone Health, the procedure where organs or tissue from one species, typically, and in this case, from pigs, are transplanted into a human recipient is called a xenotransplant. This procedure was the fifth xenotransplant performed by the Transplant Institute, and was performed by Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute. The world's first xenotransplant was also performed by Dr. Montgomery on September 25, 2021.
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- The xenotransplant procedure took place on July 14, 2023, and the organ was retrieved on September 13, 2023, from a 58-year-old man who, with his family's consent, had been declared dead based on neurologic criteria while on a ventilator before the xenotransplant. Following the completion of the study, the decedent was removed from the ventilator, and his body was returned to the family, in accordance with their wishes.
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- According to NYU Langone Health, the kidney used in this procedure came from a GalSafe pig, genetically engineered by Revivicor Inc., a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation, and approved by the FDA in December 2020 for potential use in human therapeutics and as a food source for those with alpha-gal syndrome. By removing a gene responsible for rapid rejection of pig organs by humans and fusing the pig's thymus gland with the kidney to prevent immune responses, all five xenotransplants at NYU Langone avoided immediate rejection. This study demonstrates that a single-gene knockout pig kidney can function effectively for two months, surpassing the need for multiple genetic modifications seen in previous pig organ transplants. Following the successful procedure, researchers will now conduct data analysis stemming from tissue samples collected during the observation period. Dr. Montgomery intends to publish more detailed findings in the coming months, NYU Langone Health reports.
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- According to NYU Langone Health, recent data from the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) reveals that in the United States, over 103,000 individuals are currently on the transplant waiting list, with approximately 88,000 of them in need of a kidney. In 2022, around 26,000 individuals underwent kidney transplants. Additionally, there are nearly 808,000 individuals in the United States diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.
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