Advancing Porcine Organs for Human Transplants: Successful Kidney Grafts in Monkeys
Design and testing of a humanized porcine donor for xenotransplantation
Recent studies have explored the potential of using pig organs for human transplantation. Before moving to human trials, genetically engineered pig donors need to be created, and their organ transplants must be tested in nonhuman primates. In this study, researchers describe the development of kidney grafts from genetically engineered pigs that were transplanted into cynomolgus monkeys. These pigs had 69 genetic modifications to eliminate antigenic markers, overexpress human genes, and inactivate retroviruses. Lab tests showed that the edited pig kidney cells had immune compatibility similar to human cells. When transplanted into monkeys, kidneys with specific genetic modifications had better survival rates, bringing us closer to clinical trials of genetically engineered pig kidney transplants.
Anand, R.P., Layer, J.V., Heja, D. et al. Design and testing of a humanized porcine donor for xenotransplantation. Nature 622, 393–401 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06594-4
