Japan team plans pig kidney transplant for fetus with severe disease

A Japanese team said Tuesday it is planning a clinical study to temporarily transplant a pig’s kidney into an unborn child with a severe kidney disease, in what would be the first case of a domestic animal-to-human transplant.

The team, which includes the Jikei University School of Medicine, is seeking to apply for approval with a state-designated committee as early as this year after going through an ethical review at the facility where the transplant would be carried out, it said.

To address any ethical issues, the group, which also includes the National Center for Child Health and Development, plans to hold an open lecture to obtain understanding from the public before the application, it said.