Boston – Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, has successfully completed its second transplant of a genetically-edited pig (porcine) kidney into a living recipient. The 2.5-hour procedure was performed on January 25 by surgeons at the Mass General Transplant Center.
The recipient, Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man from Concord, N.H., underwent dialysis for over two years due to end-stage kidney disease. His new kidney is functioning as expected, allowing him to be discharged from MGH on February 1 and off dialysis for the first time in over two years.
This achievement builds on MGH’s historic milestone in March 2024, when it became the first hospital in the world to transplant a genetically-edited pig kidney into a living human. Xenotransplantation, or transplanting organs from one species to another, is being hailed as a potential solution to the global organ shortage.
The pig kidney was provided by eGenesis of Cambridge, Mass., which used CRISPR gene editing to make it compatible with humans. Apellis Pharmaceuticals and Eledon Pharmaceuticals also contributed novel immunosuppressant medications for this transplant.
“This second xenotransplant provides us with another excellent opportunity to learn how we can make genetically-edited pig organs a viable, long-term solution for patients,” said Dr. Kawai, lead surgeon on the case.
The procedure was performed under the FDA Expanded Access Protocol (EAP), commonly known as compassionate use, which allows patients with serious illnesses or conditions to access experimental treatments when no comparable options are available. MGH plans to perform two additional xenotransplants this year, further advancing the field of xenotransplantation.
MGH is a leading academic health care system that conducts innovative research and provides high-quality patient care. Its commitment to solving the hardest problems in medicine has earned it numerous accolades, including being named one of the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
Source: https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/mgh-performs-second-xenotransplant-of-genetically-edited-pig-kidney-into-living-recipient