Three days with pork kidney

The kidney of a genetically modified pig was connected to a human for the first time

Polina Loseva, N+1

The kidney is one of the most frequently used organs for transplantation. But the demand for them, as is always the case with donor organs, greatly exceeds the number of available kidneys. People don't know how to grow them in vitro yet. And it is also not possible to transplant organs from animals yet — a strong immune response develops, and the human body rejects someone else's kidney.

Several research groups are simultaneously looking for a way to genetically modify pigs so as to make their tissues less immunogenic. One of these groups works for United Therapeutics Corporation and has created a line of GalSafe animals. There is no alpha-galactose carbohydrate on the surface of their cells, which is unusual for the human immune system, and the gene of the enzyme that produces alpha-galactose has been cut out of their genome. Therefore, GalSafe pig tissues should be safe for humans. At least in 2020, the FDA approved this line of animals, not only for therapeutic use, but also for food consumption — it may be useful for people with allergies to alpha-galactose.

Now surgeons from New York for the first time tried to connect a kidney from a pig from the GalSafe line to the human body. As reported by Reuters, the recipient was a woman whose doctors diagnosed brain death and who was going to be disconnected from life support devices. The patient also had signs of renal dysfunction, so surgeons replaced one of her kidneys with a pig kidney. She was connected to the woman's circulatory system, but they did not sew her inside the body and left her outside — so that it would be more convenient to observe her.

The pig kidney was kept in this condition for three days. During this time, the researchers did not notice any signs of acute rejection, and also made sure that she was working at full strength and producing the required amount of urine. At the same time, she compensated for the traces of renal insufficiency in the patient — the creatinine level in the blood, according to which kidney function is assessed, returned to normal in the woman.

At the next stage, according to the surgeon who led the operation, it will be necessary to check what will happen to the kidney if you leave it for a longer period, and whether two pork kidneys will work in the same mode at the same time. In his opinion, people with a living brain and end—stage renal failure who are not helped by dialysis can take part in the following experiments, but this will require a separate FDA permit.

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