A New Hampshire man has recently undergone an experimental transplant of a pig kidney, a significant milestone in demonstrating the potential of animal organs to save human lives.
Bill Stewart, a 54-year-old athletic trainer, underwent the surgery on June 14, with doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital announcing his progress on Monday.
“I wanted to contribute to science,” Stewart shared with The Associated Press, reflecting on his motivations.
This achievement comes as the medical team celebrates additional milestones. Pig kidneys have been functioning for seven months, surpassing previous records. The longest known success with a genetically modified pig organ lasted 130 days.
Following insights from Stewart’s case and other unique situations, the FDA has authorized pig producer Egenesis to initiate a comprehensive study on kidney xenografts.
“We’re at a bottleneck here,” Dr. Leonardo Riella noted, who is involved in new clinical trials aimed at addressing the shortage of human organs.
Currently, over 100,000 individuals are on the US transplant list, the majority needing kidneys. Scientists are working on genetically modifying pigs’ organs to be more compatible with humans, thereby reducing the likelihood of rejection by the immune system.
It’s important to note that this initial experiment involved patients in critical condition, with earlier attempts at transplants yielding limited success. Recent reports from Chinese researchers have discussed kidney xenografts, although many specifics have not been disclosed.
In Stewart’s case, high blood pressure led to kidney failure, but he had no other health complications.
Finding a matching kidney for his blood type could take as long as seven years, and some living donors were unavailable. After spending two years on dialysis, he learned about the opportunity at Massachusetts General and decided to apply.
“I’ve always been a science nerd,” he admitted, weighing the risks and ultimately concluding, “If things went south, they could just take it out.”
Now relieved from the daily grind of dialysis, Stewart looks forward to returning to work and hopes to inspire others facing similar challenges.
Dr. Riella has tailored Stewart’s rejection medication to address initial concerns, noting that adjustments may be necessary for others as well. It’s still too early to predict the longevity of the pig kidneys, but even temporary relief from dialysis can be beneficial while they await a human organ.
“Ideally, a year or even longer would be a significant advantage,” he added.
The new Egenesis study will involve gene-edited pig kidney transplants for over 30 individuals aged 50 and older who are on dialysis or transplant lists.
Additionally, United Therapeutics, another company working on gene-edited pig organs, plans to start enrolling participants in similar FDA-approved research soon.
