Richard “Rick” Slayman, the first man to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig, has passed away two months after the groundbreaking operation, according to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Despite the historical significance of the procedure conducted on March 16, MGH clarified that there was no indication his death was related to the transplant.
The operation marked a significant moment in medical history, offering a potential new source of organs in a field plagued by donor shortages. Slayman, who was 62, had been grappling with end-stage kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. He had previously received a human kidney transplant in 2018, but the organ began to fail after five years.
Following the pig kidney transplant, Slayman no longer required dialysis, indicating that the new organ was functioning well. MGH expressed profound gratitude towards Slayman for his willingness to participate in such an innovative medical procedure, emphasizing his role as a beacon of hope for many facing similar health battles.
“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” his family stated, reflecting on his motivation and the legacy he hoped to leave behind. They remembered him as a kind-hearted individual with a quick-witted sense of humor, deeply dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers.
This transplant is part of ongoing medical explorations into xenotransplantation—the transplanting of organs from one species to another—which holds promise amid the critical shortage of human organs for transplantation. While other attempts, such as pig heart transplants, have been made, they have not been successful, with recipients dying a few weeks post-operation due to complications like organ rejection by the immune system.