IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Evidence for Human Thymopoiesis in a Porcine Thymus Graft and T Cell Tolerance to the Source Pig in a Human Recipient of a Thymokidney Xenotransplant

Evidence for Human Thymopoiesis in a Porcine Thymus Graft and T Cell Tolerance to the Source Pig in a Human Recipient of a Thymokidney Xenotransplant

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The talk described a xenotransplantation study using a pig thymokidney to promote immune tolerance in a very ill patient with end-stage renal failure and multiple other diseases. The speaker explained that organ shortages kill many patients waiting for transplants and that immune rejection is the major obstacle to xenotransplantation. Their strategy was to implant pig thymic tissue to support thymopoiesis and “educate” new T cells to accept pig antigens.  <br /><br />In the patient, the thymokidney initially functioned and produced urine. Follow-up showed strong human immune recovery, evidence of human thymopoiesis, and many newly generated naive T cells. TCR sequencing revealed that donor-reactive T cell clones were low in blood but enriched in the kidney, where they expanded into memory T cells. Despite this, mixed lymphocyte results showed specific unresponsiveness to the donor pig, not third-party cells. Overall, the study suggested pig thymic tissue can help induce donor-specific tolerance.

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Date April 17, 2026 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Room 102

Session From A to X: Next-Gen Targets & Interventions for Alloimmunity, GVHD, and Xenotransplantation

Speaker Farshid Fathi

Track Transplantation Immunology (TRAN)

Year 2026

Keywords

xenotransplantation

pig thymokidney

immune tolerance

thymopoiesis

donor-specific tolerance

April 17, 2026 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM

102

From A to X: Next-Gen Targets & Interventions for Alloimmunity, GVHD, and Xenotransplantation

Farshid Fathi

Transplantation Immunology (TRAN)

2026