Man receives first kidney transplant from genetically-modified pig

Published: March 21, 2024, 10:11 p.m.

A 62-year-old man in Boston in the United States has received a kidney from a genetically-engineered pig in the first transplant of its kind. Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital say if such procedures are carried out on a large scale, dialysis could become obsolete. Richard Slayman - whose previously transplanted human kidney began to fail last year - is recovering well after the four-hour surgery last week. His surgeons say they stand on the brink of a "monumental breakthrough".

Also in the programme: we get an update from Haiti as we ask how the gangs are supplying themselves with sophisticated weapons; and celebrating World Poetry Day, we hear from Mary Jean Chan whose poetry collection "Bright Fear" has been nominated for the prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize.\n \n(Photo Credit: Massachusetts General Hospital)