The first patient to receive a genetically modified kidney transplant from a pig He died just two months after the surgery.
Richard Suleiman, 62, of Boston had end-stage renal disease when he received a pig kidney that had been made with 69 genome edits that experts say ushered in a new era of organ transplants. .
Unfortunately, when Mr Suleiman was discharged from the hospital on April 6, doctors said he was ‘recovering well’ and sadly passed away on Saturday.
At this time, there is no indication from anyone involved in the operation or Mr. Suleiman’s family that his death was related to the transplant.
The four-hour surgery was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston under an Expanded Access Protocol “compassionate use” permit, which is performed only when patients with life-threatening illnesses have no other options. I was disappointed.
Mr. Suleiman suffered from type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure for years before he was finally diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.
He underwent dialysis treatment in 2011 and eventually was placed on the kidney donor waiting list and received a human kidney transplant in December 2018.
Five years later, the donor’s kidneys stopped working, and Suleiman returned to dialysis in May 2023.
I then had to undergo clot removal and surgical revisions every two weeks to address clotting complications during this second dialysis.
Because of these persistent complications and Mr. Suleiman’s rapidly declining kidney function, doctors suggested trying a pig kidney transplant.
As he was preparing to leave the hospital after the transplant, he had a fear of organ rejection, which is a common occurrence, so doctors were able to deal with it quickly.
At the time, MGH’s Medical Director for Kidney Transplants, Leonardo Riera, said, “We’d rather have the rejection happen and treat it and adjust it much earlier than to have it happen and not notice it for a few weeks.” It may already be too late.
“It’s like a wildfire. You want to put it out quickly before it gets out of control.”
After three days of high-dose steroids, the rejection and kidneys stabilized, and Suleiman was discharged from the hospital.
Upon his release, Mr. Suleiman said: “Today, this moment when I can leave the hospital in the best health I’ve had in a long time, is the moment I’ve wanted to come for years.”
“Now it’s real and it’s one of the happiest moments of my life.”
For several months after the surgery, he underwent blood and urine tests three times a week and visited his doctor twice a week to monitor his condition.
At the time, Suleiman said: “I have been a patient at Mass Comprehensive Transplant Center for 11 years and have the utmost confidence in the doctors, nurses, and clinical staff who have treated me.
“When my transplanted kidney started functioning in 2023, I once again trusted the care team at MGH to achieve my goal of not only improving my quality of life, but extending my quality of life.
“I thought it was a way to not only help me, but also give hope to the thousands of people who need transplants to survive.”
Dr. Winfred Williams, associate chief of nephrology at MGH, offered insight at the time into why Mr. Suleiman was offered the experimental treatment, saying, “We would have had to wait five to six years to get a human kidney.” I guess.” He wouldn’t have survived it. ”
More than 100,000 patients are on waiting lists for new kidneys in the United States, and most face delays of at least three years.
Jolene C. Madsen, director of the MGH Transplant Center, emphasized the importance of Suleiman’s contributions to medicine.
He said: ‘[The surgery] This would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to embark on a journey into the unknown of disease history.
‘Mr. Suleiman will become a beacon of hope for countless people suffering from end-stage renal disease and break new ground in organ transplantation. ”