First pig kidney in a human: Is this the future of transplants?
Al Jazeera
Could the successful transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney to a human spell the end of the organ shortage crisis?
The first man to receive a genetically modified kidney transplant from a pig was discharged from hospital on Wednesday last week.
Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, who had been suffering from end-stage kidney disease, no longer needs dialysis after the groundbreaking procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School’s biggest teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Slayman had been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, which means his kidneys could not function on their own. He was placed on dialysis from 2011 until 2018 when he received his first kidney transplant from a human donor at MGH.
About five years later, the transplanted kidney started showing signs of failure and, in May 2023, Slayman restarted dialysis. After this, he started experiencing complications associated with dialysis which are common among dialysis patients. Hence, he required regular hospital visits for de-clotting and surgical revisions, which affected his quality of life.
The “gene-edited” pig kidney was provided by eGenesis, a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts which develops human-compatible engineered organs. The company removed harmful pig DNA from the pig donor using genetic editing, and added human DNA to make the kidney more compatible with the human body.
HMPV infections are spreading in China, while cases of flu-like disease have also been found in India and the UK.
Moscow blames Ukraine for halting gas transit and Moldova for financial spat; Chisinau suspects Russia of seeking to influence upcoming elections.
Verifying casualty figures for soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war is difficult, as experts call it ‘a war of narratives’.
Authorities say they are investigating the cause of the crash off island located near Perth, Western Australia.
Analysts predict a tough year, as Islamabad prepares for more US belligerence towards China, the closest Pakistan ally.
President Maduro said the group included mercenaries and ‘hit men’, describing two US detainees as ‘very high level’.
Here are the key developments on the 1,049th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says change will strike $49bn in medical debt from credit reports.
Lim Kimya, 74, had refused to flee Cambodia even after former PM Hun Sen threatened to make opposition MPs lives ‘hell’.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent says fear dominates in Gaza as Israeli attacks intensify, targeting ‘humanitarian safe zone’.
Israeli forces kill 5 children in al-Mawasi as Trump warns Hamas that ‘all hell will break out’ if captives not freed.