Sixty-six-year-old Tim Andrews, a resident of New Hampshire, is the fourth patient worldwide to undergo a pig kidney transplantation.
As reported recently in a Mass General News Release, Tim is one of only two patients living with a transplanted pig kidney. This is the second successful procedure performed by physician scientists at Harvard Medical School.
Tim’s situation became somewhat complicated by his type O blood causing a delay in locating a donor with the same blood type. Tim had experienced two years of dialysis as a result of end-stage kidney disease. Tim also suffered a heart attack in July 2023.
The transplantation was performed as “compassionate use” allowing patients with life-threatening disorders an opportunity to access certain treatments if there were no other options available to them. Tim vividly recalls feeling revitalized and reenergized when he woke up after surgery. He called it a miracle.
The Wait List
Over one hundred thousand people in the U.S. are waiting for a transplant. It is estimated that at least 17 people die every day waiting for their transplant.
A broader view suggests that there are over 800,000 people in the U.S. with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). About 555,000 Americans are on dialysis as a result.
Unfortunately, there is a serious organ shortage. Therefore, most people must stay on dialysis which, while it can sustain their life, puts the patient at risk for various infections and cardiovascular complications. The long-term outcome is poor.
About xenotransplantation
eGenesis provided the kidney for the initial 2024 surgery as well as the kidney for Tim’s surgery.
Sixty-nine edits were performed on the transplanted kidney using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The edits eliminated pig genes, improved human compatibility by adding human genes, and inactivated viruses to eliminate infections.
Medicines were provided by two pharmaceutical companies to reduce the possibility of the organ being rejected.
Two additional kidney xenotransplants have been approved and scheduled for the same location during 2025. The study will then begin to observe the long-term feasibility of pigs that are genetically edited for xenotransplants in humans.
