Almost two months after making history as the first human to undergo a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, American Richard Slayman (62) has died.
Slayman, who had end-stage kidney disease, underwent the procedure in March at Massachusetts General Hospital, reports NPR.
The hospital said in a statement on Saturday that there was “no indication” that his death was the result of the transplant. At the time, the transplant surgeon had said he hoped the transplant would function for at least two years.
The surgery was a milestone for the field of xenotransplantation – the transplant of organs from one species to another – as a way to alleviate the organ shortage for people needing transplants.
Slayman’s family thanked his doctors: “Their enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick…”
Last month, a 54-year-old New Jersey woman became the second person ever to have a genetically modified pig kidney transplant.
More than 100 000 people in the US are on the waiting list for organs, with thousands dying every year before they can get one.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
First combined heart pump and pig kidney transplant
Pig kidney transplant patient discharged from hospital
US team performs first pig-to-human kidney transplant
Genetically engineered pigs put xenotransplantation back in the spotlight