Wuhan: Chinese scientists have achieved a significant milestone by successfully transplanting a genetically modified pig kidney into a macaque, allowing the organ to function for over six months. This groundbreaking procedure was conducted earlier this year at a hospital affiliated with Tongji Medical College under Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the transplant took place on May 10, when researchers replaced the macaque’s native kidneys with a single genetically edited pig kidney. The organ functioned effectively for 184 days, thanks to an enhanced immunosuppression protocol. The ethical approval for the animal experiment was obtained prior to the procedure.
Professor Chen Gang from the hospital highlighted that achieving a survival period of 180 days is considered an important benchmark for long-term survival in studies involving cross-species organ grafting. The transplanted kidney maintained normal physiological readings during the first five months, alth
ough chronic rejection occurred thereafter.
The research team is now focusing on strategies to mitigate antibody responses to prolong graft survival, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for human clinical trials. Chen emphasized that demonstrating long-term survival in animal models is a crucial step before initiating clinical studies in China.
This development comes in the wake of a similar breakthrough by Harvard Medical School physician-scientists in March, where a genetically modified pig kidney was transplanted into a human with kidney failure. Unfortunately, the 62-year-old recipient passed away two months following the procedure.