Richard Slayman, the world’s first recipient of a transplanted, genetically engineered pig kidney, has passed away.
Slayman received the transplant during surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital on March 16, receiving a pig kidney with 69 genomic edits.
According to WCVB5, the 62-year-old said that he was leaving the hospital, “with one of the cleanest bill of health I’ve had in a long time.”
In a statement, Massachusetts General Hospital said it has no indication Slayman’s death was the result of his recipient transplant.
“The Mass General transplant team is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Mr. Rick Slayman,” the MGH statement reads. “Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Slayman’s family and loved ones as they remember an extraordinary person whose generosity and kindness touched all who knew him.”
»Related: N.Y. doctors perform first-of-its-kind gene-edited pig kidney transplant
Slayman had been living with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension for years and had end-stage kidney disease at the time of transplant. He had already received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor in December 2018 and had been on dialysis for seven years before that transplant.
In 2023, after that transplanted kidney failed, he was forced to begin relying on dialysis again.
After his transplant, Slayman 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.
“Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many. Millions of people worldwide have come to know Rick’s story. We felt — and still feel — comforted by the optimism he provided patients desperately waiting for a transplant,” wrote the family in a statement.
The pig kidney used in the study was supplied by eGenesis, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They genetically modified the pig donor, employing advanced technology to eliminate detrimental pig genes and incorporate specific human genes, thus enhancing compatibility with humans. Additionally, researchers at Mass General ensured safety by deactivating porcine endogenous retroviruses in the donor pig, mitigating any potential risk of infection in humans.
»Related: Navy veteran receives second ever GM pig heart transplant
