The American man who came into the limelight after getting a pig kidney transplant has died recently. Rick Slemon was the first person to have a pig kidney transplanted into his body. This experiment was considered historic. Rick Slemon had undergone surgery just 2 months ago and now he has died suddenly, the cause of death is not yet known.
Rick Slemon had surgery in March. During the four-hour operation, he was given a pig kidney made suitable for human use through genetic modification. Both his kidneys had stopped working due to a disease. Under the CRISPR CAS9 process, the kidney was removed from the pig and modified, the pig genes were removed and some human genes were inserted.
The hospital honored Slemon as a beacon of hope for transplant patients worldwide, praising his dedication to advancing organ transplantation. Thousands die annually due to organ shortages, with 1,400 awaiting kidney transplants at Boston Hospital in March.
In addressing this problem, scientists are experimenting with the utilization of animal organs, particularly kidneys. eGenesis, a biotech firm headquartered in Massachusetts, has modified pig kidneys by altering their genetic changes, making them suitable for transplantation into humans. This kidney was transplanted to Slemon. The pig’s harmful genes were removed, and some human genes were added.
Slemon, diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and hypertension, underwent a kidney transplant in 2018, but unfortunately, the organ stopped functioning after five years. This year, on March 16 he underwent a pig kidney transplant. Following the procedure, medical professionals announced that Slemon was no longer reliant on dialysis.
On his death, his family said that Slemon’s story was an inspiration. According to the hospital, Slemon’s family said, “One of the reasons he agreed to this transplant was to become a hope for thousands of people in the world who need a transplant to survive. Rick’s goal has been achieved and the hope he gave will remain forever.”
