Selection of Patients for Initial Clinical Trials of Solid Organ Xenotransplantation

Pressing ethical issues relating to clinical pig organ transplantation studies

Clinical pig heart transplant experiments have been undertaken, and further clinical experiments and/or clinical trials of gene-edited pig organ xenotransplantation are anticipated. The ethical issues relating to xenotransplantation have been discussed for decades but with little resolution. Consideration of certain ethical issues is more urgent than others, and the need to attain consensus is important. These issues include: (i) patient selection criteria for expanded access and/or clinical trials; (ii) appropriate protection of the patient from xenozoonoses, that is, infections caused by pig microorganisms transferred with the organ graft, (iii) minimization of the risk of a xenozoonosis to bystanders, and (iv) the need for additional public perception studies. We discuss why it is important and urgent to achieve consensus on these ethical issues prior to carrying out further expanded access experiments or initiating formal clinical trials. The ways forward on each issue are proposed.

Xenotransplantation Clinical Trials and Equitable Patient Selection

Xenotransplant patient selection recommendations restrict clinical trial participation to seriously ill patients for whom alternative therapies are unavailable or who will likely die while waiting for an allotransplant. Despite a scholarly consensus that this is advisable, we propose to examine this restriction. We offer three lines of criticism: (1) The risk-benefit calculation may well be unfavorable for seriously ill patients and society; (2) the guidelines conflict with criteria for equitable patient selection; and (3) the selection of seriously ill patients may compromise informed consent. We conclude by highlighting how the current guidance reveals a tension between the societal values of justice and beneficence.

A Standardized Approach to Orthotopic (Life-supporting) Porcine Cardiac Xenotransplantation in a Nonhuman Primate Model

Cardiac xenotransplantation from swine has been proposed to "bridge the gap" in supply for heart failure patients requiring transplantation. Recent preclinical success using genetically modified pig donors in baboon recipients has demonstrated survival greater than 6 mo, with a modern understanding of xenotransplantation immunobiology and continued experience with large animal models of cardiac xenotransplantation. As a direct result of this expertise, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first in-human transplantation of a genetically engineered cardiac xenograft through an expanded access application for a single patient. This clinical case demonstrated the feasibility of xenotransplantation. Although this human study demonstrated proof-of-principle application of cardiac xenotransplantation, further regulatory oversight by the Food and Drug Administration may be required with preclinical trials in large animal models of xenotransplantation with long-term survival before approval of a more formalized clinical trial. Here we detail our surgical approach to pig-to-primate large animal models of orthotopic cardiac xenotransplantation, and the postoperative care of the primate recipient, both in the immediate postoperative period and in the months thereafter. We also detail xenograft surveillance methods and common issues that arise in the postoperative period specific to this model and ways to overcome them. These studies require multidisciplinary teams and expertise in orthotopic transplantation (cardiac surgery, anesthesia, and cardiopulmonary bypass), immunology, genetic engineering, and experience in handling large animal donors and recipients, which are described here. This article serves to reduce the barriers to entry into a field with ever-growing enthusiasm, but demands expertise knowledge and experience to be successful.

Unique problems for the design of the first trials of transplanting porcine kidneys into humans

Over the past year, 3 scientific teams conducted experiments of genetically edited porcine organs into human recipients, 3 of whom were deceased and 1 living. In this editorial, we describe challenges for the design of initial xenotransplantation clinical trials and focus on patient selection, consent, and requisite post-transplant follow-up. Given the uncertain clinical benefit of xenotransplantation, we propose that patient selection criteria might include novel elements, such as approaching patients who have a low quality of life and a strong aversion to continued dialysis therapy. We set expectations related to the importance of informing and protecting family members and medical teams who could be exposed to zoonotic viral infection from the donor organ and/or receive unwanted publicity. Meeting these challenges in trial design and oversight will require multidisciplinary expertise, a conceptual model that extends beyond the individual patient, and creative collaboration between scientists and regulatory agencies.

Developing pig-to-human organ transplants

Recent advances raise hope for a promising solution to the transplant organ shortage.

Progress in xenotransplantation: overcoming immune barriers

A major limitation of organ allotransplantation is the insufficient supply of donor organs. Consequently, thousands of patients die every year while waiting for a transplant. Progress in xenotransplantation that has permitted pig organ graft survivals of years in non-human primates has led to renewed excitement about the potential of this approach to alleviate the organ shortage. In 2022, the first pig-to-human heart transplant was performed on a compassionate use basis, and xenotransplantation experiments using pig kidneys in deceased human recipients provided encouraging data. Many advances in xenotransplantation have resulted from improvements in the ability to genetically modify pigs using CRISPR-Cas9 and other methodologies. Gene editing has the capacity to generate pig organs that more closely resemble those of humans and are hence more physiologically compatible and less prone to rejection. Despite such modifications, immune responses to xenografts remain powerful and multi-faceted, involving innate immune components that do not attack allografts. Thus, the induction of innate and adaptive immune tolerance to prevent rejection while preserving the capacity of the immune system to protect the recipient and the graft from infection is desirable to enable clinical xenotransplantation.

Modifying organs with gene therapy and gene modulation in the age of machine perfusion

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to highlight current advances in gene therapy methods, describing advances in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and RNA interference in relevance to liver transplantation, and machine perfusion.

RECENT FINDINGS

In order to minimize rejection, increase the donor pool of available organs, and minimize the effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury, gene therapy and gene modification strategies are, thus, required in the context of liver transplantation.

SUMMARY

Gene therapy has been used successfully in a diverse array of diseases, and, more recently, this technique has gained interest in the field of organ transplantation. Biological and logistical challenges reduce the rate of successful procedures, increasing the waiting list even more. We explore the exciting future implications of customized gene therapy in livers using machine perfusion, including its potential to create a future in which organs destined for transplant are individualized to maximize both graft and recipient longevity.

Reevaluating the Ethical Issues in Porcine-to-Human Heart Xenotransplantation

A major limiting factor with heart allotransplantation remains the availability of organs from deceased donors. Porcine heart xenotransplantation could serve as an alternative source of organs for patients with terminal heart failure. A first-in-human porcine xenotransplantation that occurred in January 2022 at the University of Maryland Medical Center provided an opportunity to examine several ethical issues to guide selection criteria for future xenotransplantation clinical trials. In this article, the authors, who are clinicians at UMMC, discuss the appropriate balancing of risks and benefits and the significance, if any, of clinical equipoise. The authors also review the alleged role of the psychosocial evaluation in identifying patients at an elevated risk of posttransplant noncompliance, and they consider how the evaluation's implementation might enhance inequities among diverse populations. The authors argue that, based on the principle of reciprocity, psychosocial criteria should be used, not to exclude patients, but instead to identify patients who need additional support. Finally, the authors discuss the requirements for and the proper assessment of informed and voluntary consent from patients being considered for xenotransplantation.

Bridging to Allotransplantation-Is Pig Liver Xenotransplantation the Best Option?

In the past 20 y, the number of patients in the United States who died while waiting for a human donor liver totaled >52 000. The median national wait time for patients with acute liver failure and the most urgent liver transplant listing was 7 d in 2018. The need for a clinical "bridge" to allotransplantation is clear. Current options for supporting patients with acute liver failure include artificial liver support devices, extracorporeal liver perfusion, and hepatocyte transplantation, all of which have shown mixed results with regard to survival benefit and are largely experimental. Progress in the transplantation of genetically engineered pig liver grafts in nonhuman primates has grown steadily, with survival of the pig graft extended to almost 1 mo in 2017. Further advances may justify consideration of a pig liver transplant as a clinical bridge to allotransplantation. We provide a brief history of pig liver xenotransplantation, summarize the most recent progress in pig-to-nonhuman primate liver transplantation models, and suggest criteria that may be considered for patient selection for a clinical trial of bridging by genetically engineered pig liver xenotransplantation to liver allotransplantation.

Scientific and psychosocial ethical considerations for initial clinical trials of kidney xenotransplantation

The initial clinical trials of pig solid organ xenotransplantation (XTx) are drawing closer and could begin in the coming years. The first clinical trials may aim to transplant genetically-modified pig kidneys into adult humans. The impetus for beginning these first-in-human trials is the severe lack of deceased donor kidneys for transplantation and the number of patients with end-stage renal disease currently on transplant waitlists, which in the USA approaches 100 000. The majority of patients on the kidney transplant waitlist receive continuous renal replacement therapy. In the United States, for patients on the kidney waitlist, the median wait-time to receive a deceased human donor organ is approximately 4.5 years for patients aged 45-74, with a 5-year mortality (or removal from the waitlist because of deteriorating health) of approximately 40%. XTx has the potential to reduce the kidney waitlist morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life. By focusing on scientific and psychosocial criteria, we present ethical considerations of certain inclusion and exclusion criteria for these first-in-human clinical trials that we suggest have not yet been fully explored.

Organ transplants of the future: planning for innovations including xenotransplantation

The future clinical application of animal-to-human transplantation (xenotransplantation) is of importance to society as a whole. Favourable preclinical data relevant to cell, tissue and solid organ xenotransplants have been obtained from many animal models utilizing genetic engineering and protocols of pathogen-free husbandry. Findings have reached a tipping point, and xenotransplantation of solid organs is approaching clinical evaluation, the process of which now requires close deliberation. Such discussions include considering when there is sufficient evidence from preclinical animal studies to start first-in-human xenotransplantation trials. The present article is based on evidence and opinions formulated by members of the European Society for Organ Transplantation who are involved in the Transplantation Learning Journey project. The article includes a brief overview of preclinical concepts and biology of solid organ xenotransplantation, discusses the selection of candidates for first-in-human studies and considers requirements for study design and conduct. In addition, the paper emphasizes the need for a regulatory framework for xenotransplantation of solid organs and the essential requirement for input from public and patient stakeholders.

Suggested Patient Selection Criteria for Initial Clinical Trials of Pig Kidney Xenotransplantation in the United States

There is a critical shortage of kidneys for transplantation into patients with kidney failure. Genetically-engineered pigs could provide an additional source. Increasing success is being reported of the transplantation of pig kidneys in nonhuman primates. Consideration is now being given to the selection of patients for the first clinical trial of pig kidney transplantation. In some US states, patients aged 55–65, particularly if of blood group O, may wait >5 years for a donor organ, by which time >50% are likely to have died or removed from the wait-list because they are no longer acceptable for transplantation. We suggest these patients, if otherwise healthy, might accept the opportunity of early pig kidney transplantation.

Clinical trials in cardiac xenotransplantation: Are we ready to overcome barriers?

Heart allotransplantation has become one of the methods of choice in the treatment of severe heart failure. In the face of its difficulties, such as the unmet balance between organ supply and demand, the use of xenotransplantation (XTx) might be an attractive option shortly, even more with the ongoing progress achieved regarding the avoidance of hyperacute rejection and primary organ disfunction, maintenance of xenograft function and control of xenograft growth. To make possible this translational challenge, some points must be taken into account indeed, and they are the equipoise of human benefit and animal suffering, the risk of unknown infections, a well prepared informed consent, ethical and religious beliefs, and the role of cardiac XTx in a ventricular assistance device era.

Recent progress and remaining hurdles toward clinical xenotransplantation

BACKGROUND

Xenotransplantation has made tremendous progress over the last decade.

METHODS

We discuss kidney and heart xenotransplantation, which are nearing initial clinical trials.

RESULTS

Life sustaining genetically modified kidney xenografts can now last for approximately 500 days and orthotopic heart xenografts for 200 days in non-human primates. Anti-swine specific antibody screening, preemptive desensitization protocols, complement inhibition and targeted immunosuppression are currently being adapted to xenotransplantation with the hope to achieve better control of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and improve xenograft longevity. These newest advances could probably facilitate future clinical trials, a significant step for the medical community, given that dialysis remains difficult for many patients and can have prohibitive costs. Performing a successful pig-to-human clinical kidney xenograft, that could last for more than a year after transplant, seems feasible but it still has significant potential hurdles to overcome. The risk/benefit balance is progressively reaching an acceptable equilibrium for future human recipients, e.g. those with a life expectancy inferior to two years. The ultimate question at this stage would be to determine if a "proof of concept" in humans is desirable, or whether further experimental/pre-clinical advances are still needed to demonstrate longer xenograft survival in non-human primates.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we discuss the most recent advances in kidney and heart xenotransplantation, with a focus on the prevention and treatment of AMR and on the recipient's selection, two aspects that will likely be the major points of discussion in the first pig organ xenotransplantation clinical trials.

Heart transplantation: the Berlin experience and perspectives

In patients with end-stage heart failure, heart transplants are now an ingrained practice, as they provide satisfying long-term results with good predictability and quality of life. The successful outcome has evolved from the development of effective immunosuppression, recognition of allograft rejection through diagnostic modalities and improvement in donor organ perfusion. Unfortunately, transplant availability is constrained by the shortage of donor organs and is therefore considered a casuistic therapy. The outcome is defined by unwanted effects of immunosuppressants, increased tumor occurrence and chronic transplant angiopathies. In the long term, patients fear primarily the occurrence of renal insufficiency and secondly osteoporosis with its skeletal complications and corresponding pain. Nevertheless, the overall quality of life is not very limited; on the contrary, patients demonstrate a surprisingly meaningful lives 10-20 years after the transplant. Their physical presentation is similar to those with varying co-morbidities. Most of the 20-year surviving patients are physically active and happy with their daily lives. Medical ambition has seen heart transplantation become reality and develop into an influential force regarding heart surgery, immunology, pharmacology, organ logistics and medical ethics. Its development has also molded our definitions of death and has driven public and health care approval of medical advances. It has provided a strong solidarity among politicians, sociologists, physicians and citizens. Problems regarding ethics continue to endure, and will forecast heart transplants as a defining, but temporary era in human medicine. The donor organ shortage has stimulated the use of resuscitated donor hearts and encouraged exploration and advancement of mechanical circulatory support systems and xenotransplantation as alternatives in the management of end-stage heart failure.

Pig-to-human heart transplantation: Who goes first?

Cardiac xenotransplantation has recently taken an important step towards clinical reality. In anticipation of the "first-in-human" heart xenotransplantation trial, we propose a set of patient characteristics that define potential candidates. Our premise is that, to be ethically justified, the risks posed by current state-of-the-art options must outweigh the anticipated risks of a pioneering xenotransplant procedure. Suitable candidates include patients who are at high immunologic risk because of sensitization to alloantigens, including those who have exhibited early onset or accelerated cardiac allograft vasculopathy. In addition, patients should be considered (1) for whom mechanical circulatory support would be prohibitively risky due to a hypercoagulable state, a contraindication to anticoagulation, or restrictive physiology; (2) with severe biventricular dysfunction predicting unsuccessful univentricular left heart support; and (3) adults with complex congenital heart disease. In conclusion, because the published preclinical benchmark for clinical translation of heart xenotransplantation appears within reach, carefully and deliberately defining appropriate trial participants is timely as the basis for ethical clinical trial design.

Transplanting organs from pigs to humans

The success of organ transplantation is limited by the complications of immunosuppression, by chronic rejection, and by the insufficient organ supply, and thousands of patients die every year while waiting for a transplant. With recent progress in xenotransplantation permitting porcine organ graft survival of months or even years in nonhuman primates, there is renewed interest in its potential to alleviate the organ shortage. Many of these advances are the result of our heightened capacity to modify pigs genetically, particularly with the development of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing methodologies. Although this approach allows the engineering of pig organs that are less prone to rejection, the clinical application of xenotransplantation will require the ability to avoid the ravages of a multifaceted attack on the immune system while preserving the capacity to protect both the recipient and the graft from infectious microorganisms. In this review, we will discuss the potential and limitations of these modifications and how the engineering of the graft can be leveraged to alter the host immune response so that all types of immune attack are avoided.

Evolving Cell-Based and Cell-Free Clinical Strategies for Treating Severe Human Liver Diseases

Liver diseases represent a major global health issue, and currently, liver transplantation is the only viable alternative to reduce mortality rates in patients with end-stage liver diseases. However, scarcity of donor organs and risk of recidivism requiring a re-transplantation remain major obstacles. Hence, much hope has turned towards cell-based therapy. Hepatocyte-like cells obtained from embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells bearing multipotent or pluripotent characteristics, as well as cell-based systems, such as organoids, bio-artificial liver devices, bioscaffolds and organ printing are indeed promising. New approaches based on extracellular vesicles are also being investigated as cell substitutes. Extracellular vesicles, through the transfer of bioactive molecules, can modulate liver regeneration and restore hepatic function. This review provides an update on the current state-of-art cell-based and cell-free strategies as alternatives to liver transplantation for patients with end-stage liver diseases.

LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: WILL XENOTRANSPLANTATION BE THE ANSWER TO THE DONOR ORGAN SHORTAGE?

Since the first report of a successful liver transplant in 1968, access to this operation has dramatically improved. In 2018, 8,250 patients underwent liver transplantation in the United States. Despite this remarkable advance, a persistent shortage of donor organs remains the primary obstacle to optimal utilization of this life-saving operation. Over the past two decades, transplant professionals have pursued two broad strategies to overcome this roadblock: increasing the number of donor organs and decreasing the number of patients requiring transplantation through advances in medical interventions. Despite these efforts, more than 13,500 patients remained on liver transplant waiting lists at the end of 2018. Almost 1,200 died while waiting, and 1,350 were removed from wait lists because they had become too sick to survive the operation. Clearly, a dramatic new approach to the donor organ shortage is needed. One effort, first attempted by surgeons in the 1960s, was to utilize donor organs from other species (xenotransplantation). The major obstacle to xenotransplantation acceptance has been the fear of transmitting new infectious diseases from animals to humans. As the twentieth century came to a close, national moratoria on xenotransplantation ended both research and clinical activities in this field. The recent discoveries that modern gene-editing techniques can be used to eliminate the retrovirus that is ubiquitous in pigs and that retrovirus-free pigs can be cloned has reopened the possibility that xenotransplantation may be a potentially game-changing approach to eliminating the donor shortage for liver and other solid organ transplant recipients. In response to these advances, the FDA has released comprehensive industry guidelines regarding all aspects of xenotransplantation. This release has resulted in numerous preclinical studies in which organs from genetically modified pigs are transplanted into various nonhuman primates (NHPs). Use of a variety of gene-editing and immunosuppressive techniques has greatly increased the survival of recipient animals in the past few years. Survival of NHP renal transplant recipients has been extended to 435 days, functional cardiac transplant recipients to 195 days, and liver transplant recipients to 29 days. Current research studies using various gene modification strategies combined with newer immunosuppressive protocols are attempting to further extend the survival of these experimental animals. These encouraging results have raised the possibility that clinical xenotransplantation in humans is just beyond the horizon. The most likely candidates for initial clinical studies probably will be kidney transplant recipients who are difficult to crossmatch for human organs, neonates with severe congenital heart disease, and liver transplant candidates with acute liver failure.

Introduction: The Present Status of Xenotransplantation Research

There is a well-known worldwide shortage of deceased human donor organs for clinical transplantation. The transplantation of organs from genetically engineered pigs may prove an alternative solution. In the past 5 years, there have been sequential advances that have significantly increased pig graft survival in nonhuman primates. This progress has been associated with (1) the availability of increasingly sophisticated genetically engineered pigs; (2) the introduction of novel immunosuppressive agents, particularly those that block the second T-cell signal (costimulation blockade); (3) a better understanding of the inflammatory response to pig xenografts; and (4) increasing experience in the management of nonhuman primates with pig organ or cell grafts. The range of investigations required in experimental studies has increased. The standard immunologic assays are still carried out, but increasingly investigations aimed toward other pathobiologic barriers (e.g., coagulation dysregulation and inflammation) have become more important in determining injury to the graft.Now that prolonged graft survival, extending to months or even years, is increasingly being obtained, the function of the grafts can be more reliably assessed. If the source pigs are bred and housed under biosecure isolation conditions, and weaned early from the sow, most microorganisms can be eradicated from the herd. The potential risk of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) infection remains unknown, but is probably small. Attention is being directed toward the selection of patients for the first clinical trials of xenotransplantation.

Clinical Pig Kidney Xenotransplantation: How Close Are We?

Patients with ESKD who would benefit from a kidney transplant face a critical and continuing shortage of kidneys from deceased human donors. As a result, such patients wait a median of 3.9 years to receive a donor kidney, by which time approximately 35% of transplant candidates have died while waiting or have been removed from the waiting list. Those of blood group B or O may experience a significantly longer waiting period. This problem could be resolved if kidneys from genetically engineered pigs offered an alternative with an acceptable clinical outcome. Attempts to accomplish this have followed two major paths: deletion of pig xenoantigens, as well as insertion of "protective" human transgenes to counter the human immune response. Pigs with up to nine genetic manipulations are now available. In nonhuman primates, administering novel agents that block the CD40/CD154 costimulation pathway, such as an anti-CD40 mAb, suppresses the adaptive immune response, leading to pig kidney graft survival of many months without features of rejection (experiments were terminated for infectious complications). In the absence of innate and adaptive immune responses, the transplanted pig kidneys have generally displayed excellent function. A clinical trial is anticipated within 2 years. We suggest that it would be ethical to offer a pig kidney transplant to selected patients who have a life expectancy shorter than the time it would take for them to obtain a kidney from a deceased human donor. In the future, the pigs will also be genetically engineered to control the adaptive immune response, thus enabling exogenous immunosuppressive therapy to be significantly reduced or eliminated.

Looking back and thinking forwards - 15 years of cardiology and cardiovascular research

The first issue of Nature Reviews Cardiology was published in November 2004 under the name Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine. To celebrate our 15th anniversary in 2019, we invited six of our Advisory Board members to discuss what they considered the most important advances in their field of cardiovascular research or clinical practice in the past 15 years and what changes they envision for cardiovascular medicine in the next 15 years. Several practice-changing breakthroughs are described, including advances in procedural techniques to treat arrhythmias and hypertension and the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as those that target risk factors such as inflammation and elevated LDL-cholesterol levels. Furthermore, these key opinion leaders predict that machine learning technology and data derived from wearable devices will pave the way towards the coveted goal of personalized medicine.

Long-term survival of pig-to-rhesus macaque renal xenografts is dependent on CD4 T cell depletion

The shortage of available organs remains the greatest barrier to expanding access to transplant. Despite advances in genetic editing and immunosuppression, survival in experimental models of kidney xenotransplant has generally been limited to <100 days. We found that pretransplant selection of recipients with low titers of anti-pig antibodies significantly improved survival in a pig-to-rhesus macaque kidney transplant model (6 days vs median survival time 235 days). Immunosuppression included transient pan-T cell depletion and an anti-CD154-based maintenance regimen. Selective depletion of CD4⁺ T cells but not CD8⁺ T cells resulted in long-term survival (median survival time >400 days vs 6 days). These studies suggested that CD4⁺ T cells may have a more prominent role in xenograft rejection compared with CD8⁺ T cells. Although animals that received selective depletion of CD8⁺ T cells showed signs of early cellular rejection (marked CD4⁺ infiltrates), animals receiving selective CD4⁺ depletion exhibited normal biopsy results until late, when signs of chronic antibody rejection were present. In vitro study results suggested that rhesus CD4⁺ T cells required the presence of SLA class II to mount an effective proliferative response. The combination of low pretransplant anti-pig antibody and CD4 depletion resulted in consistent, long-term xenograft survival.

Perspectives on the Optimal Genetically Engineered Pig in 2018 for Initial Clinical Trials of Kidney or Heart Xenotransplantation

For a clinical trial today, what might realistically be the optimal pig among those currently available? Deletion of expression of the 3 pig carbohydrate antigens, against which humans have natural (preformed) antibodies (triple-knockout pigs), should form the basis of any clinical trial. However, because both complement and coagulation can be activated in the absence of antibody, the expression of human complement- and coagulation-regulatory proteins is likely to be important in protecting the graft further. Any genetic manipulation that might reduce inflammation of the graft, for example, expression of hemeoxygenase-1 or A20, may also be beneficial to the long-term survival of the graft. The transgene for human CD47 is likely to have a suppressive effect on monocyte/macrophage and T-cell activity. Furthermore, deletion of xenoantigen expression and expression of a human complement-regulatory protein are both associated with a reduced T-cell response. Although there are several other genetic manipulations that may reduce the T-cell response further, it seems likely that exogenous immunosuppressive therapy, particularly if it includes costimulation blockade, will be sufficient. We would therefore suggest that, with our present knowledge and capabilities, the optimal pig might be a triple-knockout pig that expressed 1 or more human complement-regulatory proteins, 1 or more human coagulation-regulatory proteins, a human anti-inflammatory transgene, and CD47. Absent or minimal antibody binding is important, but we suggest that the additional insertion of protective human transgenes will be beneficial, and may be essential.

Physiologic Aspects of Pig Kidney Transplantation in Nonhuman Primates

Xenotransplantation can provide a solution to the current shortage of human organs for patients with terminal renal failure. The increasing availability of genetically engineered pigs, effective immunosuppressive therapy, and antiinflammatory therapy help to protect pig tissues from the primate immune response and can correct molecular incompatibilities. Life-supporting pig kidney xenografts have survived in NHP for more than 6 mo in the absence of markers of consumptive coagulopathy. However, few reports have focused on the physiologic aspects of life-supporting pig kidney xenografts. We have reviewed the literature regarding pig kidney xenotransplantation in NHP. The available data indicate (1) normal serum creatinine, (2) normal serum electrolytes, except for a trend toward increased calcium levels and a transient rise in phosphate followed by a fall to slightly subnormal values, (3) minimal or modest proteinuria without hypoalbuminemia (suggesting that previous reports of proteinuria likely were due to a low-grade immune response rather than physiologic incompatibilities), (4) possible discrepancies between pig erythropoietin and the primate erythropoietin receptor, and (5) significant early increase in kidney graft size, which might result from persistent effects of pig growth hormone. Further study is required regarding identification and investigation of physiologic incompatibilities. However, current evidence suggests that, in the absence of an immune response, a transplanted pig kidney likely would satisfactorily support a human patient.

Xenotransplantation: past, present, and future

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review the progress in the field of xenotransplantation with special attention to most recent encouraging findings which will eventually bring xenotransplantation to the clinic in the near future.

RECENT FINDINGS

Starting from early 2000, with the introduction of galactose-α1,3-galactose (Gal)-knockout pigs, prolonged survival especially in heart and kidney xenotransplantation was recorded. However, remaining antibody barriers to non-Gal antigens continue to be the hurdle to overcome. The production of genetically engineered pigs was difficult requiring prolonged time. However, advances in gene editing, such as zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and most recently clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology made the production of genetically engineered pigs easier and available to more researchers. Today, the survival of pig-to-nonhuman primate heterotopic heart, kidney, and islet xenotransplantation reached more than 900, more than 400, and more than 600 days, respectively. The availability of multiple-gene pigs (five or six genetic modifications) and/or newer costimulation blockade agents significantly contributed to this success. Now, the field is getting ready for clinical trials with an international consensus.

SUMMARY

Clinical trials in cellular or solid organ xenotransplantation are getting closer with convincing preclinical data from many centers. The next decade will show us new achievements and additional barriers in clinical xenotransplantation.

Liver xenotransplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There continues to be an inadequate organ supply and lack of effective temporary support, for patients with liver failure. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent progress in the field of orthotopic pig-to-nonhuman primate (NHP) liver xenotransplantation (LXT).

RECENT FINDINGS

From 1968 to 2012, survival in pig-to-NHP LXT was limited to 9 days, initially due to hyperacute rejection which has been ameliorated through use of genetically engineered donor organs, but ultimately because of profound thrombocytopenia, thrombotic microangiopathy, and bleeding. Most recently, however, demise secondary to lethal coagulopathy has been avoided with LXT of α(1,3)-galactosyltransferase knockouts and cytomegalovirus-negative porcine xenografts into baboons receiving exogenous administration of coagulation factors and co-stimulation blockade, establishing that a porcine liver is capable of supporting NHP life for nearly a month.

SUMMARY

Continued consistent achievement of pig-to-NHP LXT survival beyond 2 weeks justifies consideration of a clinical application as a bridge to allotransplantation for patients with acute hepatic failure. Further genetic modifications to the donor, as well as additional studies, are required in order to apply LXT as destination therapy.

Presence of Pig IgG and IgM in Sera Samples From Baboons After an Orthotopic Liver Xenotransplantation

INTRODUCTION

The immunorejection in xenotransplantation has mostly been studied from the host's immune system activation point of view and there is very little information about the graft-vs-host reaction.

OBJECTIVES

To validate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for porcine IgM and IgG quantitation, the assessment of porcine IgG and IgM in sera samples from baboons after liver orthotopic xenotransplantation or in human plasma after xenotransfusion through pig organs, and to assess the presence of porcine immunoglobulin in a baboon after plasmapheresis to a complete change of plasma after 4 passages through pig liver.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two commercial ELISA kits for pig IgG and IgM quantitation were evaluated for cross reactivity with samples from baboons, Rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and humans. Then, samples from 18 baboons after orthotopic liver xenotransplantation were studied for porcine IgG and IgM. To understand the phenomenon, human plasma samples after xenotransfusion 1, 2, 3, or 4 times through liver or kidney were assessed for porcine IgG presence and finally, the porcine IgG were quantified in sera samples obtained during more than 4 years from a baboon after plasmapheresis with baboon plasma after xenotransfusion 4 times through a pig liver.

RESULTS

Porcine IgG and IgM were found in samples from xenotransplanted baboon during all survival. The quantity of porcine IgG in plasma after xenotransfusion correlated with the number of passages through the pig liver, and the IgG were completely cleared from the baboon 16 days after plasmapheresis and complete substitution of plasma after 4 xenotransfusions through a pig liver.

Xenotransplantation-the current status and prospects

Introduction

There is a continuing worldwide shortage of organs from deceased human donors for transplantation into patients with end-stage organ failure. Genetically engineered pigs could resolve this problem, and could also provide tissues and cells for the treatment of conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and corneal blindness.

Sources of data

The current literature has been reviewed.

Areas of agreement

The pathobiologic barriers are now largely defined. Research progress has advanced through the increasing availability of genetically engineered pigs and novel immunosuppressive agents. Life-supporting pig kidneys and islets have functioned for months or years in nonhuman primates.

Areas of controversy

The potential risk of transfer of a pig infectious microorganism to the recipient continues to be debated.

Growing points

Increased attention is being paid to selection of patients for initial clinical trials.

Areas timely for developing research

Most of the advances required to justify a clinical trial have now been met.

Bringing Home The Bacon: Update on The State of Kidney Xenotransplantation

BACKGROUND

There is a continuing critical shortage of organs from deceased human donors for transplantation, particularly for patients awaiting kidney transplantation. Efforts are being made to resolve the donor kidney shortage by the transplantation of kidneys from genetically-engineered pigs.

SUMMARY

This review outlines the pathobiological barriers to pig organ xenotransplantation in primates, which include (i) antibody-dependent complement-mediated rejection, (ii) a T cell-mediated elicited antibody and cellular response, (iii) coagulation dysregulation between pigs and primates, and (iv) a persistent inflammatory response. As a result of increasing genetic manipulation of the pig and the introduction of novel immunosuppressive agents, pig kidney graft survival has increased from minutes to months, and even to >1 year in some cases. Aspects of the selection of the patients for a first clinical trial are discussed. Although there would appear to be some cross-reactivity between anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies and swine leukocyte antigens expressed in pigs, some HLA-sensitized patients will be at no disadvantage if they receive a pig kidney. Furthermore, the current limited evidence is that, even if the patient becomes sensitized to pig antigens (after a pig organ transplant), this would not be detrimental to a subsequent allotransplant. The potential risk of infection with a pig microorganism, and the function of a pig kidney in a primate are also discussed. Key Message: The recent encouraging results of pig kidney transplantation in nonhuman primates suggest the likelihood of a successful (and safe) initial clinical trial, with graft survival for months or possibly years.

Xenotransplantation: back to the future?

The field of xenotransplantation has fluctuated between great optimism and doubts over the last 50 years. The initial clinical attempts were extremely ambitious but faced technical and ethical issues that prompted the research community to go back to preclinical studies. Important players left the field due to perceived xenozoonotic risks and the lack of progress in pig-to-nonhuman-primate transplant models. Initial apparently unsurmountable issues appear now to be possible to overcome due to progress of genetic engineering, allowing the generation of multiple-xenoantigen knockout pigs that express human transgenes and the genomewide inactivation of porcine endogenous retroviruses. These important steps forward were made possible by new genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, allowing researchers to precisely remove or insert genes anywhere in the genome. An additional emerging perspective is the possibility of growing humanized organs in pigs using blastocyst complementation. This article summarizes the current advances in xenotransplantation research in nonhuman primates, and it describes the newly developed genome editing technology tools and interspecific organ generation.

The Role of Costimulation Blockade in Solid Organ and Islet Xenotransplantation

Pig-to-human xenotransplantation offers a potential bridge to the growing disparity between patients with end-stage organ failure and graft availability. Early studies attempting to overcome cross-species barriers demonstrated robust humoral immune responses to discordant xenoantigens. Recent advances have led to highly efficient and targeted genomic editing, drastically altering the playing field towards rapid production of less immunogenic porcine tissues and even the discussion of human xenotransplantation trials. However, as these humoral immune barriers to cross-species transplantation are overcome with advanced transgenics, cellular immunity to these novel xenografts remains an outstanding issue. Therefore, understanding and optimizing immunomodulation will be paramount for successful clinical xenotransplantation. Costimulation blockade agents have been introduced in xenotransplantation research in 2000 with anti-CD154mAb. Most recently, prolonged survival has been achieved in solid organ (kidney xenograft survival > 400 days with anti-CD154mAb, heart xenograft survival > 900 days, and liver xenograft survival 29 days with anti-CD40mAb) and islet xenotransplantation (>600 days with anti-CD154mAb) with the use of these potent experimental agents. As the development of novel genetic modifications and costimulation blocking agents converges, we review their impact thus far on preclinical xenotransplantation and the potential for future application.

Prolonged Survival Following Pig-to-Primate Liver Xenotransplantation Utilizing Exogenous Coagulation Factors and Costimulation Blockade

Since the first attempt of pig-to-primate liver xenotransplantation (LXT) in 1968, survival has been limited. We evaluated a model utilizing α-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout donors, continuous posttransplant infusion of human prothrombin concentrate complex, and immunosuppression including anti-thymocyte globulin, FK-506, methylprednisone, and costimulation blockade (belatacept, n = 3 or anti-CD40 mAb, n = 1) to extend survival. Baboon 1 remained well until postoperative day (POD) 25, when euthanasia was required because of cholestasis and plantar ulcers. Baboon 2 was euthanized following a seizure on POD 5, despite normal liver function tests (LFTs) and no apparent pathology. Baboon 3 demonstrated initial stable liver function but was euthanized on POD 8 because of worsening LFTs. Pathology revealed C4d positivity, extensive hemorrhagic necrosis, and a focal cytomegalovirus inclusion. Baboon 4 was clinically well with stable LFTs until POD29, when euthanasia was again necessitated by plantar ulcerations and rising LFTs. Final pathology was C4d negative and without evidence of rejection, inflammation, or thrombotic microangiopathy. Thus, nearly 1-mo rejection-free survival has been achieved following LXT in two of four consecutive recipients, demonstrating that the porcine liver can support life in primates for several weeks and has encouraging potential for clinical application as a bridge to allotransplantation for patients with acute-on-chronic or fulminant hepatic failure.

Cytokine profiles in Tibetan macaques following α-1,3-galactosyltransferase-knockout pig liver xenotransplantation

BACKGROUND

Pig-to-nonhuman primate orthotopic liver xenotransplantation is often accompanied by thrombocytopenia and coagulation disorders. Furthermore, the release of cytokines can trigger cascade reactions of coagulation and immune attacks within transplant recipients. To better elucidate the process of inflammation in liver xenograft recipients, we utilized a modified heterotopic auxiliary liver xenotransplantation model for xeno-immunological research. We studied the cytokine profiles and the relationship between cytokine levels and xenograft function after liver xenotransplantation.

METHODS

Appropriate donor and recipient matches were screened using complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays. Donor liver grafts from α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout (GTKO) pigs or GTKO pigs additionally transgenic for human CD47 (GTKO/CD47) were transplanted into Tibetan macaques via two different heterotrophic auxiliary liver xenotransplantation procedures. The cytokine profiles, hepatic function, and coagulation parameters were monitored during the clinical course of xenotransplantation.

RESULTS

Xenograft blood flow was stable in recipients after heterotopic auxiliary transplantation. A Doppler examination indicated that the blood flow speed was faster in the hepatic artery (HA) and hepatic vein (HV) of xenografts subjected to the modified Sur II (HA-abdominal aorta+HV-inferior vena cava) procedure than in those subjected to our previously reported Sur I (HA-splenic artery+HV-left renal vein) procedure. Tibetan macaques receiving liver xenografts did not exhibit severe coagulation disorders or immune rejection. Although the recipients did suffer from a rapid loss of platelets, this loss was mild. In blood samples dynamically collected after xenotransplantation (post-Tx), dramatic increases in the levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin (IL)-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-6, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 were observed at 1 hour post-Tx, even under immunosuppression. We further confirmed that the elevation in individual cytokine levels was correlated with the onset of graft damage. Finally, the release of cytokines might contribute to leukocyte infiltration in the xenografts.

CONCLUSION

Here, we established a modified auxiliary liver xenotransplantation model resulting in near-normal hepatic function. Inflammatory cytokines might contribute to early damage in liver xenografts. Controlling the systemic inflammatory response of recipients might prevent early post-Tx graft dysfunction.