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Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Gives New Life at 52
27 May
Summary
- A 52-year-old patient received a gene-edited pig kidney.
- The patient suffered from uremia and endured 13 years of dialysis.
- Severe complications led to kidney removal and bypass surgery.
Asia's second recipient of a gene-edited pig kidney transplant recently marked his 52nd birthday, exactly one month after the surgery. The procedure took place at Xijing Hospital in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. This milestone offers a new lease on life for Zhang Li (pseudonym), who had been battling uremia for thirteen years.
His long struggle involved three weekly, four-hour hemodialysis sessions, taking a significant toll physically and mentally. The patient's health continued to decline, leading to serious complications such as coronary heart disease. He underwent both coronary stent implantation and coronary artery bypass grafting, and eventually had both kidneys removed due to polycystic kidney disease.
