Japan Prepares to Test Pigs' Kidneys for Humans in 2028

JAKARTA - Japan is preparing to enter a new phase in the world of organ transplants. A biotechnology startup plans to test pig kidney transplants to humans as early as 2028.

Kyodo News, quoted Monday, June 29, reported that the clinical trial will be conducted by PorMedTec, a venture company from Meiji University, at two hospitals. If it goes according to plan, this is likely to be the first trial of a pig kidney transplant to humans in Japan.

The two locations prepared are the Hokkaido University Hospital in Sapporo and the Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.

The kidneys that will be used do not come from ordinary pigs. The organ comes from pigs that have been genetically modified to reduce the risk of rejection by the recipient's immune system.

"We want to lay the foundation for xenotransplantation in Japan," said Hiroshi Nagashima, a professor at Meiji University and representative director of PorMedTec, in a press release quoted by Kyodo News.

Xenotransplantation is a procedure for transferring organs, tissues, or cells from animals to the human body. This technology was developed as one solution to overcome the limitations of the number of organ donors.

PorMedTec imports genetically modified pig cells from the US biotechnology company, eGenesis Inc. The cells are then used to produce pigs with the same genetic characteristics in Japan.

The pig's genes were modified in 69 parts to reduce the possibility of organs being rejected by the human body after transplantation.

If the clinical trial is successful and obtains production and marketing approval, PorMedTec hopes that the therapy can be used more widely for patients with severe kidney failure.

The need is indeed great. Around 300,000 people in Japan undergo dialysis or blood transfusions. Of that number, around 15,000 people are still on the transplant waiting list, according to the Japan Organ Transplant Network.

Pig kidney transplants have previously been tested in the United States and China. Now Japan is preparing a similar move as an effort to expand the choice of therapy for patients, amid still limited availability of organ donors.