TRAGIC FATE
Richard Slayman, world’s first successful pig kidney transplant dead at 62 just weeks after record-breaking treatment
It is unclear if his death is related to the surgery at this time
WORLD'S first successful pig kidney transplant Richard Slayman dead at 64 just weeks after successful record-breaking treatment
Slayman died on Saturday, only two months after the procedure was conducted using a pig kidney which had undergone 69 genomic edits.
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Released from the hospital on April 6, Slayman reported having the "cleanest bill of health" he could remember reported local ABC news affiliate .
At this time, there is no evidence pointing to his death being related to the transplant.
Slayman underwent the surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), in Boston on March 16 under Expanded Access Protocol "compassionate use" clearance.
This Expanded Access Protocol is only implemented when patients with serious life-threatening conditions have no other treatment options.
And the genetically modified pig kidney certainly was the last option for Slayman, after a long history of medical conditions and complications.
He had been living with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension for many years before eventually being diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.
In 2011, the ailing man found himself going through dialysis treatment and eventually was put on the donor list.
Then, seven years later, he finally received a human kidney transplant in December of 2018.
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Unfortunately, only a short five years later, that transplanted kidney began showing signs of failure and he was put back on dialysis in May of 2023.
During his second round of dialysis, Slayman faced de-clotting and surgical revision every two weeks to address clotting complications.
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Given the consistent complications and his rapidly failing kidney function, his doctor suggested the potential for a pig kidney transplant.
Right before he was set to leave the hospital, Slayman had an organ rejection scare.
White blood cells had begun attacking the organ, causing inflammation, but being a common form of rejection, doctors were able to quickly address it.
“I would rather get a rejection very early and get it treated and make adjustments rather than seeing it much later where it might go unnoticed for a couple weeks, at which point it might be too late,” explained Leonardo Riella, MGH’s medical director of kidney transplantation.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND SLAYMAN'S TRANSPLANT
Mass General confirmed that the kidney was donated by eGenesis of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The pig donor's genes had been altered with CRISPR-Cas9 technology, a powerful tool for editing genomes that allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function.
It has many potential applications, including correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases, and improving the growth and resilience of crops.
This enabled scientists to replace dangerous pig genes with those that are more compatible with humans.
Researchers also "inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans."
Doctors in the operating room burst into applause as the animal kidney began functioning almost immediately, said transplant surgeon Tatsuo Kawai.
Leonardo Riella, MGH's medical director of kidney transplantation, said that while transplants are expensive, they often produce better results than dialysis for those in the late stages of kidney disease.
“Clearly transplant is a much better in potentially reducing cost in comparison to dialysis, but without organs we cannot do it," he said.
The breakthrough could offer hope for new ways to supply organs to patients who are often stuck on transplant lists for years.
Kidney failure affects around 750,000 individuals in the United States each year, with an estimated two million more globally, stats from the reveal.
More than 100,000 Americans are on the waiting list for kidney transplants, and with end-stage renal disease anticipated to rise by 2030, the revelation comes as a big relief.
“It’s a bit like a wildfire; you want to extinguish it quickly before it gets out of control.”
After three days on a high dose of steroids, the rejection stabilized, as did the kidney, and Slayman was soon released.
In the months since his transplant, Slayman underwent blood and urine tests three times a week and doctor visits twice a week to monitor his status.
FOR A CAUSE LARGER THAN HIMSELF
After the surgery, Slayman provided some insight into his perspective on the operation, citing a calling bigger than just himself as to why he agreed to move forward with the transplant.
“I have been a Mass General Transplant Center patient for 11 years and have the highest level of trust in the doctors, nurses, and clinical staff who have cared for me,” said Slayman.
“When my transplanted kidney began failing in 2023, I again trusted my care team at MGH to meet my goals of not just improving my quality of life but extending it.
"I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive," Slayman explained.
Dr. Winfred Williams, associate chief of the nephrology division at MGH, provided additional medical insight as to why his need for a kidney was imminent enough to consider experimental treatment.
"He would have had to wait five to six years for a human kidney. He would not have been able to survive it," he explained at the time.
Joren C. Madsen, Director of the MGH Transplant Center reinforced the importance of Slayman's contribution to medicine, further explaining how his consent to the surgery and bravery would help advance the field and save lives.
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"[The surgery] would not have been possible without his courage and willingness to embark on a journey into uncharted medical history," said Madsen.
"Mr. Slayman becomes a beacon of hope for countless individuals suffering from end-stage renal disease and opens a new frontier in organ transplantation."
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