There are many aspects of an organ donation, not just the need for an organ, but also how compatible it is in terms of blood type. The reason why this is important is because of components known as antigens. The recipient's own body can destroy the new organ if the donated organ has different antigens. However, scientists may have found a way to surpass this issue. A major scientific breakthrough has occurred: scientists successfully changed the blood type of a donated kidney using a special enzyme and then transplanted it into a patient. This is the first procedure of its kind. Right now, a patient can only receive an organ if the donor has a compatible blood type. If the types don't match, the patient's immune system will immediately produce antibodies or immune soldiers to attack and destroy the foreign organ. How Did The Mismatched Blood Type Transplant Work? The research team from Canada and China found a special enzyme that can remove the Type A antigens from an organ. Antigens are the markers on blood cells (and organs) that determine blood type. By removing the Type A markers, the enzyme essentially converts Type A blood into Type O blood. Type O is considered the "universal" donor type because anyone can receive it. In this first test, the converted Type O kidney was transplanted into a 68-year-old patient. Although the kidney eventually showed signs of rejection after two days, it was able to function and produce urine for six days, proving the concept works. How Does A Universal Kidney Work? If doctors can successfully change the blood type of a donor organ, the current limits on transplants would largely disappear, creating enormous benefits for patients. Significantly Increased Access to Organs Without the need to match blood types, doctors wouldn't have to wait for an organ that is both a good match and the correct blood type. Instead, they could focus only on other factors important for the transplant's long-term success. By removing the blood type obstacle, this technology would allow for faster matching and quicker surgeries, which will dramatically reduce the painfully long waiting lists that patients currently face. Shorter, More Efficient Wait Lists Without the restriction of matching blood types, doctors wouldn't have to wait for an organ that is both a good match and the correct blood type. Instead, they could focus on other crucial factors, like matching proteins and tissues that are important for the long-term success of the transplant. By eliminating the blood type hurdle, this technology would allow for faster matching and quicker surgeries, drastically reducing the painfully long wait lists that patients currently face for life-saving organs. Eliminating Risky Pre-Treatment for Recipients This new approach of treating the donor organ instead of the patient is a major advancement. Right now, to perform a blood-type-mismatched transplant, the patient has to get intense treatments beforehand to severely weaken their immune system. These treatments are risky because they significantly increase the patient's vulnerability to severe infections. Furthermore, for deceased donor organs—which must be used very quickly—there simply isn't enough time to safely administer these pre-treatments. By converting the organ outside the body, doctors can avoid this high-risk step for the recipient, making the transplant safer and much more feasible for emergency cases. What Happens Next This successful first attempt proves the enzyme-conversion technique works, but it's just the beginning. The scientists now need to conduct more studies on both brain-dead and living patients. Their main goal is to figure out the best way to adjust the treatment so that the converted organ can function successfully for a long period, ultimately allowing this revolutionary technique to be used in hospitals everywhere.
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