AUTHOR=Le Bas-Bernardet Stéphanie , Blancho Gilles 

TITLE=Progress in Porcine Kidney Transplantation to Non-Human Primates

JOURNAL=Transplant International

VOLUME=Volume 38 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/transplant-international/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14003

DOI=10.3389/ti.2025.14003

ISSN=1432-2277

ABSTRACT=Renal xenotransplantation has recently made considerable progress in overcoming the barrier to use in humans. This progress was made possible owing to the use of preclinical pig-to-primate models. Overall, renal xenotransplantation has long been associated with lower survival rates than that of porcine hearts has (in particular, owing to its life-sustaining nature). However, the use of the latest strains from genetically modified porcine donors, combined with the progress in the control of the anti-porcine immune response and coagulation, has now enabled survival for up to 2 years. Although the pig-to-primate combination has long been considered a perfect reflection of the human situation, it has several limitations, particularly in terms of different natural anti-porcine antibodies. This fact, in association with the survival prolongation, which is considered a prerequisite, led some pioneering teams to crossing the line of human application. However, the application in humans will remain anecdotal, and the continued progress in renal xenotransplantation will be difficult to achieve without the use of nonhuman primates, which will remain complementary, particularly with regard to major innovations that have never been tested in humans.