Advancing Hope Through Science: The Inaugural Richard Slayman International Workshop on Xenotransplantation.
Riella LV., Madsen JC., Pierson RN., Borges TJ., Sachs D., Cooper D., Adams A., Yamada K., Sykes M., Nowak G., Keating BJ., Tatapudi V., Kumar V., Larsen CP., Elias N., Cosimi AB., Kimura S., Sagar A., Curtis M., Legorreta P., Berglund E., Ayares D., Levan ML., Williams W., Ladin K., Mohiuddin MM., Reichart B., Moazami N., Cleveland D., Griffith B., Sweet S., Giarraputo A., Avillach C., Rosales I., Tector J., Loupy A., Montgomery RA., Colvin RB., Fishman JA., Kawai T.
The inaugural Richard Slayman Clinical Xenotransplantation Workshop convened >140 participants from North America, Europe, and Asia to discuss emerging advances and challenges in translating xenotransplantation from bench to bedside. This report summarized key discussions spanning kidney, heart, and liver xenotransplantation, with an emphasis on clinical readiness and future directions. Core themes included the importance of patient selection, the role of genetic editing to reduce immune incompatibility, adaptive immunosuppressive strategies, novel molecular tools for immune and infectious surveillance, and the growing recognition of innate immune activation as a barrier to long-term graft survival. The workshop highlighted decedent models as a translational bridge, the use of machine perfusion in liver xenograft applications, and progress in living recipients. Notably, 1 patient achieved 9 mo of kidney xenograft function, underscoring the feasibility of extended survival in carefully selected candidates. Perspectives from patients and families, including a reflection honoring Richard Slayman, the first living recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney, framed the scientific dialogue within the broader human impact of this emerging field. The workshop marked a pivotal moment in aligning scientific, ethical, and regulatory efforts to advance safe and equitable access to xenotransplantation.