A 62-year-old man and the world’s first patient with a transplanted pig kidney conducted in March at Massachusetts General Hospital, United States of America (USA) has died almost two months after the operation.
Penpushing reports that Rick Slayman, an American, it is recalled was living with end-stage kidney disease before the operation which was a milestone in xenotransplantation – the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another – as a potential solution to the worldwide organ shortage.
The hospital authorities, however, said Slayman’s death was not linked to the transplant as at the time of filing this report, while the family expressed sadness over the loss, and paid tribute to the medical team that cared for him
‘Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many. Their (medical team) enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts’, the family said
Penpushing further reports that the hospital management in same vein said it is deeply saddened by Slayman’s death, adding that the deceased will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide
‘We do not indicate that it was the result of his recent transplant. Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide, and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation’, the management stated
Penpushing reports that the pig kidney came from a pig that was genetically edited to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans, while scientists also inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans.
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