The world's first-ever patient of a double surgery involving a mechanical heart pump and a gene-edited pig kidney has died.
She was also the second-ever person to receive a pig kidney transplant.
Woman Dies Two Months After Pioneering Double Surgery For Heart Pump, Pig Kidney
Her death was revealed by NYU Langone Health, which was where she underwent the surgery.
Lisa Pisano underwent the transplant procedure on April 12. Prior to this, she was battling with end-stage kidney disease that required regular dialysis as well as heart failure.
However, after the transplant, the organ ended up failing because of limited blood flow. It was eventually removed on May 29.
On top of being the second case of a known gene-edited pig kidney transplant into a living recipient, her case is also the first reported organ transplant for an individual who has a mechanical heart pump. Pisano was also the first to receive a pig kidney transplant along with its own thymus gland.
During a news conference, Pisano expressed that though the pig kidney transplant did not work for her, it could still work for someone else.
Though Pisano had a mechanical heart pump and also underwent dialysis, she had to start hospice care. Eventually, she passed away last Sunday.
According to Robert Montgomery, MD, the director of the Transplant Institute in NYU Langone, it is not possible to overstate the contributions made by Pisano to surgery, medicine, and xenotransplantation.
The director adds that Pisano's bravery has offered hope to thousands of individuals who battle heart failure or end-stage kidney disease, as they could also benefit from an alternative organ supply soon.
Xenotransplantation
Pisano's bravery was showcased in the latest case of xenotransplantation, which refers to when non-human organs, tissues, or cells are implanted for human treatment.
In the US, roughly 104,000 individuals wait to receive a transplant. Over 80% of them wait to receive a kidney.
Almost 808,000 people across the US battle end-stage kidney disease. However, last year, only 27,000 were able to receive transplants.
Pisano was just the second-ever living recipient of a gene-edited pig kidney transplant. In the past, the transplants were tested among patients who were brain dead.
The first pig kidney transplant was performed in March, and the recipient was 62-year-old Rick Slayman. Eventually, the man passed away in May, with reports saying that there is no proof that his death resulted from the transplant.
In the past, transplants from animals to humans were not compatible. When a transplant cross-species is done, the human body may reject the organ as humans have preformed antibodies in the blood.
As for the pig kidney transplant that Pisano received, it was genetically edited in order to knock out the gene that is in charge of sugar production for alpha-gal. Based on studies, removing the alpha-gal may prevent such a reaction that could lead to rejecting the organ transplant.
RELATED ARTICLE: 2nd Pig Kidney Transplant Recipient Gets Organ Removed 47 Days Post-Operation, Undergoes Dialysis Again
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