#pig kidney

[daily-media]

US surgeons say pig kidney functional in human for more than a month

The latest experimental procedure is part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species transplants, testing the technique on bodies that have been donated for science.

US surgeons who transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain dead patient said Wednesday the organ was still working well after a record 32 days — a significant step in the quest to close the organ donation gap.

The latest experimental procedure is part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species transplants, testing the technique on bodies that have been donated for science.

There are more than 103,000 people waiting for organs in the United States, 88,000 of whom need kidneys.

“We have a genetically edited pig kidney surviving for over a month in a human,” Robert Montgomery, director of the New York University Langone Transplant Institute, told reporters. “I think there’s a very compelling story that exists at this point that I think should give further assurances about starting some initial studies… in living humans.”

Montgomery carried out the first genetically modified pig kidney transplant to a human in September 2021, followed by a similar procedure in November 2021. There have since been a handful of other cases, with all the experiments running for two or three days.

While previous transplants have involved body parts with up to 10 genetic modifications, the latest had just one: in the gene involved in so-called “hyperacute rejection,” which would otherwise occur within minutes of an animal organ being connected to a human circulatory system.

By “knocking out” the gene responsible for a biomolecule called alpha-gal — a prime target for roving human antibodies — the NYU Langone team were able to stop immediate rejection.

“We’ve now gathered more evidence to show that, at least in kidneys, just eliminating the gene that triggers a hyperacute rejection may be enough along with clinically approved immunosuppressive drugs to successfully manage the transplant in a human for optimal performance — potentially in the long-term,” said Montgomery.

They also embedded the pig’s thymus gland — which lies around the neck and is responsible for educating the immune system — in the kidney’s outer layer.

Adam Griesemer, of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, added that this practice allowed immune cells in the host’s body to learn to recognize the pig’s cells as its own, preventing a delayed rejection.

Both of the patient’s own kidneys were removed, then one pig kidney was transplanted, and started immediately producing urine.

Monitoring showed that levels of creatinine, a waste product, were at optimal levels, and there was no evidence of rejection.

No evidence of pig virus

Crucially, no evidence of porcine cytomegalovirus — which may trigger organ failure — have been detected since the transplant, and the team plan to continue monitoring for another month.

The research was made possible by the family of the 57-year-old male patient, Maurice “Mo” Miller, who was found unresponsive in his bathroom in July. Doctors determined he had an aggressive form of brain cancer, and would not wake up.

“Though my brother cannot be here, I can say with confidence he would be proud of the fact in the tragedy of his death, his legacy will be helping many people live,” his sister Mary Miller-Duffy told reporters.

In January 2022, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical School carried out the world’s first pig-to-human transplant on a living patient — this time involving a heart. He died two months after the milestone, with the presence of porcine cytomegalovirus in the organ later blamed.

The donor pig in these experiments came from a herd from Virginia-based biotech company Revivicor. The herd was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a source of meat for people with hypersensitivity to the alpha-gal molecule, an allergy caused by tick bites.

These pigs are bred, not cloned, meaning the process can be more easily scaled.

Early so-called xenotransplantation research focused on harvesting organs from primates — for example, a baboon heart was transplanted into a newborn known as “Baby Fae” in 1984, but she survived only 20 days.

Current efforts focus on pigs, which are thought to be ideal donors for humans because of their organ size, their rapid growth and large litters, and the fact they are already raised as a food source.

[reasonsforhope]

"For the first time, genetically modified pig kidneys provided “life-sustaining kidney function” during the course of a planned seven-day clinical study—a first step in addressing the critical crisis worldwide of kidney donor organ shortage.

The University of Alabama’s pre-clinical human study at Birmingham also advances the science and promise of xenotransplantation as a therapy to potentially cure end-stage kidney disease—just as a human-to-human transplants can.

“It has been truly extraordinary to see the first-ever preclinical demonstration that appropriately modified pig kidneys can provide normal, life-sustaining kidney function in a human safely and be achieved using a standard immunosuppression regimen,” said UAB transplant surgeon scientist Jayme Locke, M.D., director of UAB’s Comprehensive Transplant Institute and lead author of the paper...

The peer-reviewed findings published last month in JAMA Surgery describes the pioneering pre-clinical human research performed on a recipient experiencing brain death...

The pre-clinical human brain death model developed at UAB can evaluate the safety and feasibility of pig-to-human kidney xenografts, or transplants, without risk to a living human. It is named for transplant pioneer Jim Parsons, an organ donor whose family generously donated his body to advance xenotransplant kidney research, like the latest patient did.

A Critical Need

Kidney disease kills more people each year than breast or prostate cancer, while more than 90,000 people are on the transplant waiting list. More than 800,000 Americans are living with kidney failure and 240 Americans on dialysis die every day. The wait for a deceased donor kidney can be as long as five to 10 years, and almost 5,000 people per year die waiting for a kidney transplant.

Groundbreaking Study Details

The 52-year-old study subject for this research lived with hypertension and stage 2 chronic kidney disease, which affects more than one in seven U.S. adults, or an estimated 37 million Americans. As part of this study, the subject had both of his native kidneys removed and dialysis stopped, followed by a crossmatch-compatible xenotransplant with two 10 gene-edited pig kidneys, or UKidney.

The transplanted pig kidneys made urine within four minutes of re-perfusion and produced more than 37 liters of urine in the first 24 hours. The pig kidneys continued to function as they would in a living human for the entirety of the seven-day study. Also, the kidneys were still viable at the time the study was concluded.

“In the first 24 hours these kidneys made over 37 liters of urine,” said Dr. Locke. “It was really a remarkable thing to see.” ...

Gene editing in pigs to reduce immune rejection has made organ transplants from pigs to humans possible. The natural lifespan of a pig is 30 years, they are easily bred, and they have organs of similar size to humans. Genetically modified pig kidneys have been extensively tested in non-human primates, and the addition of UAB’s preclinical human research model—the Parsons Model—now provides important information about the safety and efficacy of kidneys in human transplant recipients."

-via Good News Network, September 17, 2023

[spacepunksupreme]

my least American trait (and actually my biggest chihuahua trait) is that I don’t really care for like Big Drinks™️. I’m not a regular drinker of coffee or soda, I don’t particularly like juice, or milkshakes or smoothies, and I really only drink alcohol on special occasions. So whenever (this is the chihuahua part) I drink anything that has even a little bit of caffeine, sugar, of alcohol in it it makes me shake and sweat like crazy lmao

[ricisidro]

A genetically modified pig kidney has been transplanted into a living human patient for the first time, with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston saying the procedure was the first successful procedure of its kind in the world.

The kidney recipient was identified as a 62-year-old man who was suffering from end-stage #kidneydisease at the time of the #kidneytransplant.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/21/health/pig-kidney-transplant-living-person/index.html

[privatesono]

(via Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder Ultrasound Scan)

[realjediverse]

Historic Pig Kidney Transplant Experiment Ends!

The historic pig kidney transplant experiment that began on September 25, 2021, has come to an end. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health removed the pig kidney from the deceased recipient, Maurice “Mo” Miller, on September 14, 2023. The experiment was a success, as the pig kidney functioned optimally for 32 days without being rejected. This is the longest a genetically modified pig kidney has ever…

[jingszo]

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support. 

To ensure the body’s kidney function was sustained solely by the pig kidney, both of the transplant recipient’s native kidneys were surgically removed. One pig kidney was then transplanted and started producing urine immediately without any signs of hyperacute rejection.

During the observation phase, intensive care clinical staff maintained the decedent on support while the pig kidney’s performance was monitored and sampled with weekly biopsies. Levels of creatinine, a bodily waste product found in the blood and an indicator of kidney function, were in the optimal range during the length of the study, and there was no evidence on biopsy of rejection.

This important research, which study leaders say could save many lives in the future, was made possible by the family of a 57-year-old male who elected to donate his body after a brain death declaration and a circumstance in which his organs or tissues were not suitable for transplant.

[dennistorejaperez]

Xenotransplantation Breakthrough: Genetically Modified Pig Organs Offer Hope for Organ Transplants

With over 100,000 individuals on the national waiting list for organ transplants, the dire shortage has driven medical experts to explore innovative solutions. Presently, many patients die while waiting for a suitable organ, and others who could benefit from transplants are not even added to the list due to limitations. In an effort to address this crisis, researchers are rekindling interest in…

[pressplusdaily]

Xenotransplantation Breakthrough: Genetically Modified Pig Organs Offer Hope for Organ Transplants

With over 100,000 individuals on the national waiting list for organ transplants, the dire shortage has driven medical experts to explore innovative solutions. Presently, many patients die while waiting for a suitable organ, and others who could benefit from transplants are not even added to the list due to limitations. In an effort to address this crisis, researchers are rekindling interest in…

[jesssurvives]

Perfect for keeping stress low. Gotta work to feed the piglet. And pups.

His name you ask? Piggy Mercury. I just call him Fred or Freddy.

[clancarruthers]

OLD SCOTTISH RECIPES - POULTRY & MEAT - CLAN CARRUTHERS CCIS

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OLD SCOTTISH RECIPES – POULTRY AND MEAT Poultry To Prepare a Fowl For boiling put the legs under the wing and “shut” them, that means, bend upwards, and tuck into the belly. For roasting leave the legs out, and skewer them down. In drawing poultry be careful not to break the gall bag, for no washing will take away the bitterness of the gall where it has touched. Stewed Chicken Truss a young…

[miniliew-blog]

Golf & Food Trip Organized by Belle - Our Golf Trip Travel Agent in Ho Chi Min Vietnam

Golf & Food Trip Organized by Belle – Our Golf Trip Travel Agent in Ho Chi Min Vietnam

Date: Sep 17, 2022 Those who know me, I am a very lazy person. If I want to go for a golf and makan or family trip, I will ask the travel agents to plan the trip, and I pay and go. Most importantly, I have the mini van to sit in. After shopping can place all shopping bags in the van. So, In Thailand, I have Thomas. In Taiwan, I have 小平哥. In Hokkaido, I have Misa Kawata-san from Hokkaido Treasure…