As mentioned in the article by Chase, “a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, announced the world’s first successful transplant of a genetically-edited pig (porcine) kidney into a 62-year-old man living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).”. It’s incredible to witness the constant innovations in health care especially when it means making certain procedures more accessible to others. The pig kidney was provided by the EGenesis of Cambridge, Mas. The reason why this pig kidney was unique is because it was genetically-edited using CRISPR-Cas9 technology which removed any harmful pig genes and added human genes in order to avoid the body rejecting the kidney. This has been a process that has been extensively researched for the past 5 years through multiple physicians, surgeons, scientists, anesthesiologists, and nurses. This is truly a historic milestone given that many people wait years for a kidney transplant and some never receive it, not to mention how expensive it is. Rick Slayman has been recovering from surgery for over two weeks and will live on to be part of a pivotal point in history.
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Link 2: https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/04/health/pig-kidney-transplant-patient-home/index.html
Hi Rocio,
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool! In Chase's article, a ground-breaking development in healthcare accessibility is described, namely the world's first successful transplant of a genetically altered pig kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease. This is important because it Offers hope to individuals in need of organ transplants, and the application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to modify the pig kidney and ensure compatibility with the recipient is the result of years of research and collaboration across medical fields. Great post!
I never thought I'd be reading about a pig kidney implant on a human, regardless its still a crazy innovation in healthcare, as you said. I wonder what else lies ahead with CRISPR-CAS9 technology.
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