Porcine xenotransplantation in the clinical era: converging advances and unresolved barriers on the path to clinical translation - a narrative review - Summary - MDSpire

Porcine xenotransplantation in the clinical era: converging advances and unresolved barriers on the path to clinical translation - a narrative review

  • By

  • Douglas Henderson

  • Leonard Knoedler

  • Olivier Mathieu

  • Nathalie Rouas-Freiss

  • Curtis L. Cetrulo

  • Gilles Lemaitre

  • David M. Smadja

  • Nicolas O. Fortunel

  • Alexandre G. Lellouch

  • June 15, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To synthesize recent advances in porcine transplantation science, focusing on xenotransplantation while examining pig-to-pig allotransplantation and human-to-pig chimerism for their relevance to immunological and physiological challenges.

Approach:
    Key Findings:
    • Advances in genome engineering and immunomodulation have been reported to enhance compatibility in porcine xenotransplantation.
    • Multigene-edited pigs have been shown to reduce hyperacute and acute vascular rejection.
    • Costimulation blockade targeting the CD40/CD154 pathway has been associated with prolonged graft survival in non-human primates.
    • Improvements in organ preservation and molecular monitoring have been noted to enhance translational readiness.
    • Porcine models provide platforms for studying tolerance induction and long-term graft biology.
    Interpretation:

    Despite significant advancements reported, challenges remain including delayed antibody-mediated rejection, coagulation dysregulation, and regulatory issues as noted in the literature.

    Limitations:
    • The review does not provide a formal systematic review count or PRISMA flow diagram.
    • No formal PROSPERO registration was undertaken due to the narrative design.
    Conclusion:

    Porcine xenotransplantation has entered an early clinical era, with ongoing research focused on immune control and long-term safety.

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