A pig kidney has been successfully transplanted into a human patient for the first time, in what could be a major scientific breakthrough.
For years, people have believed the method could work, but there have been failed human-pig transplants in the past: In 2022, a man underwent the first pig heart transplant, but died shortly after.
But this time the transplant appears to have been a success, as Massachusetts General Hospital announced that the patient who received a pig kidney transplant is ready to be released from the hospital.
The 62-year-old patient, Richard Sulaiman, is recovering well after a four-hour operation on March 16. Sulaiman suffers from diabetes and reportedly had to wait five years for a human kidney transplant, without which he would not have survived.
“I saw this as a way to not only help myself, but also to give hope to the thousands of people who need transplants to survive,” Suleiman said in a statement.
according to Live ScienceThe kidney itself was provided by eGenesis, a biotechnology company that develops artificial organs that can be adapted for humans.
Suleiman has reportedly undergone two rounds of antibody treatments to prevent organ rejection, as well as other types of medication – a procedure that, if successful, could make such surgeries more common.
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