Doctors

Doctors Combined a Heart Pump and Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

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Doctors Combined a Heart Pump and Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

The kidney used in the latest NYU transplant was procured from a pig with a single genetic edit—the removal of a gene that produces a sugar known as alpha gal. This sugar appears on the surface of pig cells and seems to be responsible for rapid rejection in humans. The pig was engineered by Revivicor, … Read more

He Got a Pig Kidney Transplant. Now Doctors Need to Keep It Working

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He Got a Pig Kidney Transplant. Now Doctors Need to Keep It Working

Other than rejection of the organ, one of the most common transplant complications is infection. Doctors have to strike a balance when prescribing immunosuppressive drugs: too low a dose can lead to rejection, while too much can make a patient vulnerable to infection. Immunosuppressants are powerful drugs that can cause a range of side effects, … Read more