First Person To Receive A Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies

First Person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, Richard "Rick" Slayman has died nearly two months post-surgery on Saturday, as confirmed by his family and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Slayman, aged 62, underwent the historic transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in March. Physicians initially estimated that the pig kidney could function effectively for at least two years. However, the transplant team, expressing profound sadness, emphasized that there was no indication linking Slayman's demise to the transplant itself.

Hailing from Weymouth, Massachusetts, Slayman marked a significant milestone as the first living individual to undergo such a procedure. Previous experiments with pig organs involved temporary transplants into brain-dead donors. Additionally, two individuals had received heart transplants from pigs, albeit both succumbed within months.

Before opting for the pig kidney transplant, Slayman had received a kidney transplant in 2018 at the same hospital. However, complications arose last year, necessitating a return to dialysis due to signs of kidney failure. When the complications intensified, requiring frequent procedures, his medical team proposed the innovative pig kidney transplant.

In a heartfelt statement, Slayman's family expressed gratitude towards his medical team, acknowledging their tireless efforts in advancing xenotransplantation, which extended Slayman's life by seven more weeks. They emphasized Slayman's altruistic intent, highlighting his desire to instill hope in the thousands awaiting life-saving transplants.

Xenotransplantation, a process involving the transplantation of animal organs or tissues into humans, has historically faced challenges due to immune rejection. Recent advancements have focused on modifying pig organs to make them more compatible with human recipients.