To overcome the shortage of organs to be transplanted, surgeons had already attempted to transplant pig kidneys into humans. The procedure had systematically ended in failure … until today. In the United States, in New York, this inter-species transplantation has just been carried out successfully.
The NYU Langone Health team made a difference by harvesting the organ from a genetically modified animal. This pig, nicknamed GalSafe, was developed by the Revivicor unit of the United Therapeutics Corp. Its genome has been altered to prevent the production of a sugar molecule, or glycan, called alpha-gal.
Produced by a porcine gene, it was identified as responsible for the immediate rejections observed during previous attempts. The recipient’s immune system refused the organ because of the alpha-gal.
By using the kidney of a pig that does not have the gene behind this molecule, the team of Dr. Robert Montgomery, a transplant specialist, hoped to avoid this pitfall. To test their theory, they approached the family of a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction.
More in-depth analyzes expected
While she was to be withdrawn from life support, her relatives agreed that she participate in this experience just before. As soon as the operation was over, the new kidney began to produce creatinine and urine “almost immediately,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery.
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If the experiment appears to be a success, scientists believe that it is still too early to say that such transplants can be carried out on a larger scale. Doctors still need to keep the patient under observation to assess the organ’s longevity. The conclusions of the experiment must also be peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
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