Rik Suleiman, pictured at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, became the first person to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney transplant.
Michelle Rose/Massachusetts General Hospital
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Michelle Rose/Massachusetts General Hospital
Richard “Rick” Suleiman, the first human to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney transplant, has died nearly two months after the surgery.
Suleiman, who had end-stage renal disease, underwent a transplant in March at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital at the age of 62.
The hospital said in a statement Saturday that there is “no indication” his death was due to the transplant. Transplant surgeons said they hope the transplant will work for at least two years.
“The Massachusetts General transplant team is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Rik Suleiman,” the hospital’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.”
The surgery was a milestone for the field of xenotransplantation (transplanting organs from one species to another) as a way to alleviate organ shortages for people in need of transplants. Efforts to genetically modify animal organs are being undertaken in the hope that the human body will not reject foreign tissue.
In a statement shared by the hospital, Suleiman’s family thanked the doctors and said, “Thanks to their hard work leading the xenotransplant, our family will be able to spend another seven weeks with Rick. The memories made during that time will remain in our hearts and minds.”
His family said he was kind, resourceful and “fiercely devoted to his family, friends and co-workers.”
“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 his goal and his hope and optimism will last forever.”
Last month, a 54-year-old New Jersey woman became the second person to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney transplant.
More than 100,000 people are on waiting lists for organs in the United States. Thousands of people die every year before they get it.
