CNY connection to historic pig kidney transplant into living human

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – A Liverpool High School, ESF, and Upstate Medical graduate, Dr. Mike Curtis, is the CEO of eGenesis, the company responsible for providing the historic first pig kidney transplanted into a living human.

“What we’ve done over the past week is a culmination of several decades of basic research in both organ reduction technology, genome engineering, cloning and immune suppression to make this all a reality,” Dr. Curtis said.

A reality that will give the thousands of people on the kidney transplant wait list, on dialysis, and those who have renal failure, a revolutionary option that could save their lives.

“Success with Mr. Slayman will only again bring more attention to the space, and there are many people like him who have reached the end of treatment options and are looking for ways to either come off dialysis, or simply extend their life,” Dr. Curtis explained.

Producing a renewable and compatible supply of new organs to address the fact there aren’t enough human organs for the thousands in need.

“So many patients on that wait list. So many people that are dying of organ failure and the potential for this technology to really revolutionize this whole space,” Dr. Curtis said.

Potential that’s already in the works.

“We also have a program for treating acute liver failure with a product that we call liver profusion where we take a patient and circulate their blood through a porcine liver that sits outside the body. And then we have a third program for heart transplant where we’re looking to use a porcine heart to bridge children who have end stage heart failure that are waiting for a human heart transplant,” Dr. Curtis said.

A breakthrough, opening the doors for many more to come.