In a groundbreaking medical achievement, surgeons at New York University Langone have performed the world’s first combination pig kidney and heart pump transplant in a living human. The recipient, Lisa Pisano, is a 54-year-old woman suffering from end-stage kidney disease and a history of heart problems.
The procedure is a major milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, the transplantation of animal organs into humans. The shortage of human donor organs has been a longstanding issue, making xenotransplantation an attractive potential solution. Recent advances in gene-editing technology have made this approach more viable, enabling scientists to create pigs that are more compatible with human biology.
Pisano’s transplant involved a pig kidney that had undergone a single gene edit to remove the alpha gal sugar, a molecule that triggers an immune response in humans. The team also transplanted the pig’s thymus, an organ that plays a key role in immune cell development. This step is believed to improve compatibility between the donor organ and the recipient’s immune system.
The nine-day procedure was performed by two separate surgical teams at NYU Langone. The heart pump was implanted first, followed by the kidney transplant. Pisano has experienced some complications but is reportedly recovering well.
The success of this transplant is a significant step forward in the development of xenotransplantation. If further trials are successful, this technology could potentially provide life-saving options for patients suffering from organ failure. NYU researchers and others are working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to advance clinical trials and make this treatment available to more patients in need.
