First clinical trial of pig kidney transplants underway...
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The first pig kidney transplant has begun, testing gene-edited pig kidneys. The road to these xenotransplants has been long, and it’s taken decades of research to get to the point where there are now early-stage clinical trials (AP video/Shelby Lum) Surgeons at NYU Langone Health prepare to transplant a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man in New York on July 14, 2023.
AI Summary
Main Idea: United Therapeutics has launched the first clinical trial of gene-edited pig kidney transplants, with NYU Langone Health performing the initial surgery.
Key Points:
- The study is the first known human clinical trial of xenotransplantation, or using animal organs in people.
- The trial will start with six patients and could grow to as many as 50 if early results are positive.
- Doctors are testing pig kidneys with 10 gene edits meant to lower rejection and improve how the organ works in the human body.
- The trial follows mixed results from earlier emergency cases, including some patients whose pig kidneys worked for months before failing.
Impact on the People
Negative Impact
Pig kidney trials are still early and may fail or be short-lived, so patients could face risks and false hope before a real fix for the donor shortage arrives.
Positive Impact
United Therapeutics and NYU Langone Health are testing a possible new source of kidneys, which could one day save lives and reduce long waits for transplant patients.
How did each entity affect people?
Rate how each entity in this article affected the American people.
- Primary:NYU Langone Healtheducational / research institution
- Primary:United Therapeuticscompany
Candidate Entities6 candidates · 5 weighted vote min · 70% decision
- NYU Langone Healtheducational / research institutionPrimaryEvaluated
Hospital and research institution where the initial transplant in the trial was performed.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - United TherapeuticscompanyPrimaryEvaluated
Announced the first successful transplant in the clinical trial and is a central company driving the xenotransplant effort.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Dr. Robert MontgomerypersonMajorAI selected
Named surgeon and transplant team leader quoted as a key figure in the trial’s progress.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - eGenesiscompanyMajorAI selected
Named company preparing its own pig kidney clinical trial and part of the article’s main development.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Food and Drug Administrationgovernment agency or bodyMajorAI selected
Federal regulator allowing the rigorous clinical studies after prior compassionate-use experiments.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Massachusetts General Hospitaleducational / research institutionMajorAI selected
Central medical institution in the article because prior pig kidney transplant records and ongoing patient cases are tied.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold
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