Xenotransplantation: How can a modified pig kidney save lives?

As organ illness grows with age, so does the chances of not finding a matching donor. If the patient is serious and needs immediate transplant then medical science has a temporary procedure which can keep the patient alive till a matching donor is found. This interim period procedure is often done xenotransplantation. Here, a genetically modified pig kidney is transplanted into the human giving them a few more months to live till a permanent health plan can be charted. While this experimental procedure has been happening for quite a while, fresh spotlight buzzes on this since the survival of 66-year old Tim Andrews surfaced recently.

What is xenotransplantation?

Tim Andrews was diagnosed with end stage kidney disease and was almost counting days till xenotransplantation kept him alive for almost nine months. He was even off dialysis. This case study comes from Massachusetts Geenral Hospital and is one of the success stories that show the progress of medical science. For the unversed, xenotransplantation is a process of cross transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs between two different species. One may now ask why a pig? That is because physiologically, their organs are similar to human organs and they can also be bred easily in controlled conditions for such medical purpose, compared to other animals. A controlled and genetically modified organ is key here as direct transplantation will be rejected by the human body.

One cannot simply walk in to a hospital and expect a genetically modified pig kidney to solve their problems. This is still an experimental procedure and experts repeatedly mention that it should not be considered as the norm. Moreover, only patients who are above 50 years, undergo regular dialysis and have their name on the waiting list are permitted to undergo this procedure. However it comes with a set of its own risks. First, undergoing a xenotransplantation does not mean that the human body will always accept the modified organ. Moreover, even if the operation seems to be successful, it might develop complications after some time. Second, a patient will be at risk to develop thrombotic microangiopathy of blood clots. Third, there is always a risk of infection. Fourth, drugs administered to prevent the risk of rejection may in turn cause infections, cancer, metabolic complications, and heart and kidney related problems.

Is xenotransplantation available in India?

As mentioned earlier that this is not a norm but an experimental procedure. Thus, it would be one of those cases which a medical team might resort to in the worst case. While a standard kidney transplant can cost anywhere between Rs 5 – 10 lakhs, the modified kidney transplant will naturally cost higher although no confirmed figure is available yet. Therefore, one should consider xenotransplantation only as a bridge between regular medical procedure and nothing that guarantees a cure.

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