A medical milestone at Massachusetts General Hospital.
For the first time, doctors have transplanted a genetically-modified big kidney into a living person. Doctors said the 62-year-old patient is recovering well and is going to be discharged from the hospital soon.
The science behind this is called xenotransplantation, and that’s where doctors use cells, tissues, or organs from animals to heal people.
Doctors said this experimental procedure could be the first step toward major changes in treating patients with organ failure.
“An abundant supply of organs resulting from this technological advance and may go far to finally achieve health equity and offer the best solution to kidney failure, a well functioning kidney transplant to all patients in need,” said Dr. Winfred Williams.
Doctors hope that dialysis will become obsolete and that this form of transplantation will afford the thousand of kidney patients waiting for an organ a permanent solution to kidney failure.