Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) has reported the sudden death of patient Rick Slayman, stating there are no signs indicating that the cause of death was related to the transplant.
The first successful recipient of a genetically modified pig kidney has passed away.
This information was confirmed by Massachusetts General Hospital, the institution that performed the transplant, on May 11.
Patient Rick Slayman. (Source: Massachusetts General Hospital)
In March, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into the body of 62-year-old patient suffering from end-stage kidney disease. The surgery lasted four hours and was deemed successful.
The hospital’s recent announcement indicated that patient Rick Slayman passed away suddenly and there are no signs that the cause of death was related to the transplant.
Massachusetts General Hospital expressed gratitude to Mr. Slayman for his trust and willingness to participate in the kidney transplant, which helps advance the field of xenotransplantation, providing hope for many other patients in need of organ transplants.
The kidney implanted in Mr. Slayman was supplied by the biotechnology company eGenesis based in Massachusetts. The kidney was genetically modified to remove harmful pig genes and introduce specific human genes.
Previously, Mr. Slayman had received a human kidney transplant in 2018, but after five years, that kidney also failed. In addition to kidney disease, he suffered from type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
There is a global shortage of transplantable organs. In March, a Boston hospital (USA) reported that over 1,400 patients were on the waiting list for kidney transplants.
