The first man to receive a Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant, two months ago, Richard Slayman is dead.
The hospital, which carried out the procedure, said
Richard Slayman was suffering with end-stage kidney disease before undergoing the operation in March.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) said on Sunday, there was no indication that his death was a result of the transplant.
Transplants of other organs from Genetically Modified Pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Slayman was hailed as a historic milestone.
MUST READ: FCT Police Command Commences Investigation Into Alleged Murder Of Khalid Bichi
In addition to kidney disease, Slayman also suffered from type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.
Following his pig kidney transplant on 16 March, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed Dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.
Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another.
MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.
Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.
While Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.
Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.
In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
