A Massachusetts man who became the first person in the world to successfully transplant a gene-edited pig kidney has died less than two months after the procedure. Richard Suleiman of Weymouth underwent surgery on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital and received a pig kidney transplant. Involves 69 genome editing. The 62-year-old was released from Massachusetts General on April 3 after several weeks of recovery and said he was leaving the hospital in “the cleanest health I’ve ever had.” Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement that there is no indication that Suleiman’s death was a result of the recipient’s transplant. “The Massachusetts General Hospital transplant team is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Rik Suleiman,” MGH’s statement said. “Mr. Suleiman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope for countless transplant patients around the world. We are deeply grateful for his trust and desire to advance the field of xenotransplantation. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.” “Mr. Suleiman’s family remembers him as an extraordinary man whose generosity and kindness touched all who knew him.” “Suleiman’s family said they were deeply saddened by his sudden death, but took great comfort in knowing he touched so many lives.” ” Millions of people around the world have come to know about it. To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man who was devoted to his family and friends and had a quick wit and sense of humor. , and his colleagues,” the family statement said. “We are extremely grateful to his care teams at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham General Hospital in Massachusetts… They truly went out of their way to give Rick a second chance. Their hard work leading the xenotransplant allowed our family to spend an additional seven weeks with Rick, and the memories made during that time will remain in our hearts and minds for many years. Suleiman, who had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, had end-stage kidney disease when he received a pig kidney transplant. He had received a kidney transplant from a deceased human donor in December 2018 after undergoing dialysis seven years ago. His transplanted human kidney showed signs of failure after about five years, and Suleiman restarted his dialysis in May 2023. After restarting his dialysis, Suleiman encountered a relapse. Dialysis vascular access complications, which required him to visit the hospital every two weeks for clot removal and surgical correction, are common problems in dialysis patients and had a significant impact on his quality of life. Suleiman said his nephrologist and his team at MGH Transplant Center suggested a pig kidney transplant. “After the transplant, Rick said one of the reasons he underwent this surgery was to give hope to the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive. Rick achieved that goal and hope. Optimism will last forever,” Suleiman’s family said in a statement. “His legacy will serve as an inspiration to patients, researchers, and medical professionals around the world. Our family requests respect for our privacy in memory of our beloved Rick, a beautiful soul.” ” Pig kidneys were provided by eGenesis, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gene-edited pig donors using technology to remove harmful pig genes and add specific human genes to increase compatibility with humans. Mass General also said scientists have inactivated the endogenous pig retrovirus in the donor pigs to eliminate the risk of infection to humans. The procedure was done under a single FDA expanded access protocol (known as compassionate use) and was allowed for a single patient or a group of critically ill patients. , to make experimental treatments and clinical trials available for life-threatening diseases and conditions when no comparable treatment or cure exists. Previous coverage:
A Massachusetts man who became the first person in the world to successfully transplant a gene-edited pig kidney has died less than two months after the surgery.
Richard Suleiman of Weymouth underwent surgery on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital and received a transplanted pig kidney with 69 genome-edited genes.
The 62-year-old was discharged from Massachusetts General on April 3 after several weeks of recovery and said he was leaving the hospital “in the best health I’ve ever been in.”
Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement that there is no indication that Suleiman’s death was a result of the recipient’s transplant.
“The Mass General Transplant Team is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Rik Suleiman,” MGH said in a statement. “Mr. Suleiman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope for countless transplant patients around the world. We are deeply grateful for his trust and desire to advance the field of xenotransplantation. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.” Please remember an extraordinary man whose generosity and kindness touched all who knew him. ”
Suleiman’s family said they were deeply saddened by his sudden death, but took great comfort in knowing he had an impact on so many people.
“Millions of people around the world have come to know Rick’s story. We felt and continue to feel the optimism he gave to patients desperately waiting for a transplant. “To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick wit and a great sense of humor. He was fiercely devoted to his family, friends and colleagues,” the family statement said. “We are extremely grateful to his care teams at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham General Hospital in Massachusetts… They truly went out of their way to give Rick a second chance. Their hard work leading the xenotransplant allowed our family to spend an additional seven weeks with Rick, and the memories made during that time will remain in our hearts and minds.”
Suleiman had long suffered from type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and was suffering from end-stage kidney disease at the time of the pig kidney transplant. He had received a kidney transplant from a deceased human donor in December 2018 after undergoing dialysis seven years ago.
The human kidney he transplanted showed signs of failure after about five years, and Suleiman restarted dialysis in May 2023. After restarting his dialysis, Mr. Suleiman encountered recurrent dialysis vascular access complications, requiring visits every two weeks for clot removal and surgical correction. Problems arose among dialysis patients that greatly affected his quality of life.
Suleiman said a nephrologist and a team from the MGH Transplant Center suggested a pig kidney transplant and carefully explained the pros and cons of the procedure.
“After his transplant, Rick said one of the reasons he underwent this surgery was to give hope to the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive. Rick achieved that goal and his Hope and optimism will last forever,” Suleiman’s family said. their statement. “His legacy will serve as an inspiration to patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals around the world. Our family asks for respect for our beloved Rick’s privacy as we remember his beautiful soul.” Masu.”
The pig kidneys were donated by pig donors to EGenesis, a company in Cambridge, Mass., that uses technology to remove harmful pig genes and add specific human genes to improve compatibility with humans. It was gene-edited using Mass General also said that scientists have inactivated the endogenous pig retrovirus in the donor pigs to eliminate the risk of infection to humans.
This procedure is permitted for a single patient or group of patients with a serious, life-threatening disease or condition to gain access to experimental treatments or clinical trials in the absence of comparable treatment options or treatments. , was made under the single FDA Expanded Access Protocol known as Compassionate Use. exist.
