Rick Slayman, the 62-year-old man who made history by receiving the world’s first genetically modified pig kidney transplant, has sadly passed away. The transplant, which took place in March at Massachusetts General Hospital, was a groundbreaking milestone in xenotransplantation, offering hope for a solution to the global organ shortage.
Although Slayman’s death occurred nearly two months after the transplant, the hospital has confirmed that it was not related to the procedure. The exact cause of his passing has not been disclosed.
Slayman’s family expressed their gratitude to the medical team that cared for him, saying, “Their enormous efforts leading to the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.”
The pig kidney used in the transplant was genetically edited to remove harmful genes and add human genes, improving its compatibility with humans. The hospital took additional precautions by inactivating porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in
