Transplant patient stable and on dialysis after pig organ removed due to ‘unique challenges' with heart, kidney health

A genetically engineered pig kidney has been removed from a transplant patient after it started losing function. The patient, a 54-year-old from New Jersey, is stable and has started dialysis. The patient had received a mechanical heart pump on April 4 and then, on April 12, received a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig. This case is the first reported organ transplant in a person with a mechanical heart pump and the second known transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney into a living recipient. The kidney had to be removed due to challenges in managing the patient’s cardiovascular health and kidney function. Despite efforts to prevent rejection, there were episodes of insufficient blood flow that caused significant injury to the kidney. This setback emphasizes the ongoing need for organ transplants and the potential of xenotransplantation to address the organ shortage.