Modern medicine has been advancing at an incredible rate, and they can do wonders in this day and age.
The most recent advancement in science came from the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Rick Slayman, 62, became the first pig kidney transplant in the world, and was released from the hospital two weeks after the surgery.
Surrounded by his care team and family, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman, 62, of Weymouth, was officially discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday. https://t.co/eMXwIhZlhJ
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) April 3, 2024
Slayman was living with end-stage kidney disease, in addition to Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
The surgery was his second kidney transplant, having received a human kidney transplant in 2018, which unfortunately began failing five years later.
CBS News expands on Slayman’s comments about the surgery:
“This moment – leaving the hospital today with one of the cleanest bills of health I’ve had in a long time – is one I wished would come for many years. Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life,” said Slayman in a statement.
I’m excited to resume spending time with my family, friends, and loved ones free from the burden of dialysis that has affected my quality of life for many years.”
Slayman said in his statement his recovery is “progressing smoothly” and added that he wanted to thank everyone who sent him well-wishes, including fellow patients awaiting a kidney transplant.
“Today marks a new beginning not just for me, but for them, as well,” said Slayman in his statement.
The kidney was donated by eGenesis in Cambridge, which was genetically edited to remove harmful pig genes.
In addition to removing harmful pig genes, certain human genes were also added in order to improve compatibility.
The Massachusetts General Hospital provides more on the details of the surgery:
Under the leadership of Leonardo V. Riella, MD, PhD, Medical Director for Kidney Transplantation, Tatsuo Kawai, MD, PhD, Director of the Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance, along with Nahel Elias, MD, Interim Chief of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Director for Kidney Transplantation, a genetically-edited pig kidney with 69 genomic edits was successfully transplanted into a living patient.
The pig kidney was provided by eGenesis of Cambridge, Mass., from a pig donor that was genetically-edited using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans. Additionally, scientists inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans.
Many people have taken to X to provide their support and amazement:
A-freakin-mazing!!!! Best of luck, Mr Slayman! You're going to do awesome! ✌️💚☘️
— Anastasia's Beavership 🛼✌️💙 (@nizzahbeanz) April 3, 2024
Great news!! A very remarkable event in the field of renal transplantation 👍👍
— SABARINATH S MD,DM,FASN,PDF (Renal transplant) (@sabarivenus) April 3, 2024
That's astonishing and miraculous.
— Therese Duran 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tusd1964) April 4, 2024
Amazing news! Congratulations Dr Riella! 👏👏
This is the first step towards the pinnacle of human ingenuity.
— Srikanth Bathini (@dakidneydoc) April 4, 2024
The initial success of the pig kidney transplant has left researchers hopeful that large clinical trials with pig organs will become a reality in the future.
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