In the USA, the man who was the first to successfully transplant a pig kidney was discharged from the hospital

Michelle Rose/Massachusetts General Hospital

62-year-old American Rick Sleiman, who is the first in the world transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney, was discharged from the hospital. This is the first such operation that was successful.

Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital say the patient is doing “good enough” that they are sending him home as early as two weeks after the operation. writes The New York Times.

According to doctors, the kidney transplanted to 62-year-old Richard Sleiman produces urine, removes waste from the blood, balances fluids in the body and performs other key functions.

It is not yet known whether the patient’s body will reject the transplanted organ.

He takes several immunosuppressive drugs – they suppress his immune system, so the man should avoid infections.

Richard Sleiman also has to take blood and urine tests and see a doctor three times a week. During the rehabilitation period (at least six weeks), doctors do not want him to return to work.

The kidney transplanted to Richard Sleiman was obtained from a pig that was genetically modified by the biotech company eGenesis. The company’s scientists deleted three genes that could trigger organ rejection, inserted seven human genes to improve compatibility, and took steps to deactivate retroviruses carried by pigs so they wouldn’t infect humans.

Doctors say that this transplant and its encouraging result is a landmark moment in medicine. This can give impetus to the development of interspecies organ transplantation.

Two previous organ transplants from genetically modified pigs have failed. Both heart transplant patients died several weeks after surgery. Another patient had signs of organ rejection by the immune system, which is a constant risk.

“This procedure brings the prospect of xenotransplantation, or animal-to-human organ transplantation, much closer. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, I think it will benefit a large number of patients.” says Dr. David Klassen, chief medical officer of the United Organ Exchange Network, which manages the US’s national organ transplant system.

However, such surgery needs to be replicated in many patients and studied in clinical trials before xenografts become widely available.

We will remind, in 2023 surgeons in New York transplanted a kidney from a pig to a brain-dead person. The graft took root and worked normally for over a month.

Scientists also succeeded kidneys were grown inside pigswhich contained mainly human cells.