INNOVATION
INNOVATION
THE FUTURE OF XENOTRANSPLANTATION
What has UAB achieved ? UAB achieved the first clinical-grade pig-to-human kidney xenotransplant of genetically modified pig kidneys . The study was conducted with the permission of an Alabama family and provided important safety information . Importantly , the study simulates how this type of transplant would be performed in a living human .
In the wake of UAB ’ s encouraging xenotransplantation study , questions emerge about the significance of what we learned , the timeline for next steps , and what the future holds . “ There is much curiosity surrounding what this procedure looks like and what it means for the future of science in this field ,” says Jayme Locke , MD , MPH , director of the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute and lead investigator for the xenotransplantation study .
Dr . Locke answers some of those questions .
“ We were able to model every step of the process exactly as it would be done in a Phase I clinical trial , which is why we feel confident in its success ,” Dr . Locke says . “ Without question , this study has established brain death as a pre-clinical human model to study the human condition , extending far beyond xenotransplantation . There are many diseases we need to understand , and we need to develop new techniques and devices . Animal models are not always sufficient . Being able to test this in a brain-dead human before it goes into a living person is remarkable and allows us to capture key safety endpoints .”
Why is this significant , and how does it change the future of transplantation ? There is an acute shortage of organs in our country , especially for kidneys , which are the most commonly needed . Kidney disease kills more people each year than breast or prostate cancer . Transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage kidney disease , yet fewer than 25,000 kidney transplants are performed annually in the United States , and 240 Americans on dialysis die each day . Many of these deaths could be prevented if an unlimited supply of kidneys were available for transplant . The wait for a deceased-donor kidney can be as long as five years – closer to 10 in many states . Nearly 5,000 people per year die waiting on a kidney transplant .
“ Kidney transplantation is a cure for end-stage kidney disease , dialysis is not ,” Dr . Locke says . “ We have a cure , and we understand it , but we have a huge gap between supply and demand . This is a refractory , unmitigated crisis , and radical solutions are needed . We believe that xenotransplantation affords the opportunity to identify a novel organ source and overcome the shortage , to provide a kidney for every person in need .”
10 UAB CTI Report