Key Points:
- New Hampshire man gets a pig kidney.
- Pig organs may ease kidney shortages.
- FDA trials to expand xenotransplants.
A 54-year-old New Hampshire man is the latest patient to receive a genetically edited pig kidney, marking another milestone in efforts to expand organ transplant options. Massachusetts General Hospital surgeons performed the operation on June 14, and doctors say the patient, Bill Stewart of Dover, is recovering well.
The transplant comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares to launch the first large-scale clinical trial of pig kidney transplants, also known as xenotransplants. The study, approved for biotech company eGenesis, will test whether these genetically altered organs can provide a long-term solution for patients facing years of dialysis while waiting for a human donor.
Hope for kidney patients as trials begin
Stewart, an athletic trainer whose kidneys failed due to high blood pressure, spent two years on dialysis before the surgery. With his blood type making the wait for a human kidney potentially as long as seven years, he chose the experimental procedure.
“I really wanted to contribute to the science of it,” Stewart said. He also spoke with Tim Andrews, another New Hampshire patient who received a pig kidney at Mass General and has now gone seven months without dialysis, the longest known survival of a gene-edited pig organ in a human.
Doctors say both patients required adjustments to their anti-rejection medications, a common challenge in early transplant cases. Still, Stewart has returned to light work duties and visited his former dialysis clinic to share encouragement with others awaiting transplants.
Addressing the organ shortage crisis
The United States currently has more than 100,000 people on the transplant list, most of whom need a kidney. Thousands die each year before a suitable donor becomes available. Scientists hope Pig Kidney, modified to prevent immediate immune rejection, could fill that critical gap.
Earlier attempts, including pig heart and kidney transplants in very sick patients, had only short-term success. A recent Alabama case lasted 130 days before organ rejection forced a return to dialysis, helping researchers refine their approach to healthier patients.
“Right now we have a bottleneck in finding enough human organs,” said Dr. Leonardo Riella, a Mass General kidney specialist helping lead the research. “If these organs can provide even a year off dialysis, that’s already a huge advantage.”
The upcoming eGenesis trial will enroll 30 patients over age 50 who are on dialysis and the transplant list. Another company, United Therapeutics, is also preparing to launch a similar FDA-approved study.
For patients like Stewart, the potential is already life-changing. “Worst case scenario, they can always take it out,” he said. “But for now, I feel good, and I hope this gives others some hope too.”
