What's Your Problem? The First Pig to Human Kidney Transplant
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May 2, 2024 
Mike Curtis, CEO of eGenesis, discusses genetically engineering pigs for human organ transplants. They explore using CRISPR technology to edit pig genomes, adding human genes for regulatory factors. Ethical considerations and future potential of pig organs in transplants are also highlighted.
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CRISPR Removed A Key Roadblock
- CRISPR made it possible to inactivate many copies of porcine endogenous retroviruses at once.
- That breakthrough removed a major infectious-disease roadblock that stalled xenotransplantation for decades.
Sixty-Nine Edits Created The 1784 Donor
- eGenesis combined three classes of edits to make pig organs usable: retrovirus inactivation, triple carbohydrate knockouts, and seven human regulatory genes.
- The 1784 donor genome totaled 69 edits to balance reduced pig identity with added human compatibility.
Screen Clones Before Making Pigs
- Use clonal selection to screen many edited cells and pick viable genomes before making animals.
- Grow clones, test genotype and phenotype, then use somatic cell nuclear transfer to produce pigs from selected cells.