Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
A Rat Orthotopic Renal Transplantation Model for Renal Allograft Rejection
Published on: February 2, 2022
[Renal xenotransplant. Acute vascular rejection]
M González Martín1, J García Buitrón, A Alonso Hernández
1Servicio de Urologia, Hospital Universitario Juan Canalejo-Fundación Barrié de la Maza, La Coruña, España. urologia@canalejo.org
Insights
Pig xenotransplantation offers a potential solution to organ shortages. However, acute rejection remains a significant challenge, limiting long-term graft survival in current experimental models.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation immunology
- Xenotransplantation research
- Surgical innovation
Context:
- Organ transplantation faces a critical shortage of donor organs, leading to high patient mortality on waiting lists.
- Xenotransplantation, using genetically modified pig organs, is explored as a viable alternative to address this deficit.
- Preclinical studies show promise, but clinical application is hindered by immunological rejection barriers.
Purpose:
- To report on the experience with renal xenotransplantation from transgenic pigs (hDAF) to baboons.
- To investigate the management of acute rejection in this xenotransplant model.
- To evaluate the feasibility and challenges of pig-to-primate kidney transplantation.
Summary:
- Twenty renal xenotransplants were performed using transgenic pigs (hDAF) as donors to baboon recipients.
- Four different immunosuppressive protocols were administered.
- Average graft survival was 7-9 days, with histological findings indicating acute tubular necrosis and acute rejection. Three grafts were lost due to technical issues.
Impact:
- This study highlights the persistent challenges in overcoming acute rejection in xenotransplantation.
- While promising results were observed, significant further research is required for long-term xenograft survival and clinical viability.
- Findings contribute to the ongoing efforts to make xenotransplantation a safe and effective therapeutic option.
Introduction And Objectives:
Organ transplant is nowadays a usual and succesful practice, although with limited application due to the lack of organs. Yearly thousands of patients get access to the waiting list and finally will death while they are waiting for an organ. In the U.S.A., 2005 waiting list for kidneys, heart, liver lung and pancreas was around 94.419. Number of transplants performed was 27.966 and died patients while waiting for an organ, 41.392 (1). Pig xenotransplant is one of the possibilities to ameliorate the lack of organs for transplant. Arrangement of pigs with different genetic modifications generated great expectatives on the use of these organs in clinics. Although preclinical experimental studies with kidneys reached prolonged survivals, these are really insufficient to go on with the clinical appliance. Hyperacute rejection produces destruction of the organ immediately. This problem could be pharmacologically precluded in xeno-transplant. However, acute rejection or vascular rejection usually produces the lost of the implant. New inmunosuppresive schedules delay significantly rejection, but not definitively. Xenotransplant as a therapeutic option introduces important scientific problems, as well as ethical and social. This paper reports a summary of our experience in renal xenotransplant and the management of acute rejection.
Material And Methods:
Twenty xenotransplants from transgenic pig (hDAF) as donor to babuine as receptor. Average weight of the animals ranged 11.4-75 kgrs and babuines 10-26 kg. Xenograft average weight ranged 39-160 grs. Implant was performed to aorta and cava. Four inmunosupressive schedules were used.
Results:
Average survival was 7-9 days. Final Histological findings are described. Changes observed were secondary to acute tubular necrosis mixed with changes due to acute rejection. Three grafts were lost due to technical major problems.
Conclusions:
Although we have observed some promising results, xenotransplant is a very difficult problem to solve in the long-term. A lot of research is still needed-.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
01:28Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
01:16Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management
01:26Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy