Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft
Published on: February 14, 2022
Heart transplantation in baboons using alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout pigs as donors: initial
Kenji Kuwaki1, Yau-Lin Tseng, Frank J M F Dor
1Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, MGH-East, 13th Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
Abstract:
Hearts from alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout pigs (GalT-KO, n = 8) were transplanted heterotopically into baboons using an anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody-based regimen. The elimination of the galactose-alpha1,3-galactose epitope prevented hyperacute rejection and extended survival of pig hearts in baboons for 2-6 months (median, 78 d); the predominant lesion associated with graft failure was a thrombotic microangiopathy, with resulting ischemic injury. There were no infectious complications directly related to the immunosuppressive regimen. The transplantation of hearts from GalT-KO pigs increased graft survival over previous studies.
