A pediatric surgery team at Duke University is celebrating the world's first heart-thymus transplant of a young boy named Easton. Transplanting the thymus and the heart from the same donor reduces the odds for organ rejection, a breakthrough in medicine NPR reports.
Although the pioneering procedure was meant to save Easton's life, the doctors also hoped the operation could revolutionize the field of organ transplantation. The doctors cultured the thymus tissue from the same donor who gave Easton his heart so that his body could accept the new tissues.
Easton's story
Easton Sinnamon was born with a weak heart and a weak immune system. The baby spent seven months in the hospital. He was on life support for some months and had to go through numerous heart operations. He was also going through treatment for recurring infections.
The doctors decided to carry out an experimental type of transplant that had not been done in combination before. The doctors applied to the medical regulatory body, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so the thymus-heart transplant may be done.
The donated thymus would help Easton's body adapt to the new heart.
Since Easton needed a new heart and a new thymus gland, the FDA approved the procedures. The operations happened in August 2021, when Easton was six months old.
One of Easton's doctors, JosephTurek from Duke University Hospital, said that the operation was "serendipitous," as their medical team has expertise in both fields.
Thymus and heart replacement
The doctors worked on using the thymus with heart transplantation to develop tolerance. The medical team worked on retraining the immune system and ensuring that the thymus and the heart from the same donor grow together.
Turek said that although this is an opportunity for Easton to heal, the procedure may also be applied to all solid organs down if the operation works.
However, more research is necessary if the procedure is to be duplicated. One question will be if it is necessary to replace the thymus of people who are already functioning.
The medical team hopes to wean Easton off the immunosuppressive drugs and see how he is coping with his new thymus. Months after the surgery, doctors are reporting that Easton is progressing well.
The thymus tissue is working, and doctors say his body is developing critical immune cells, which might ultimately reduce or even eliminate his need to take lifelong anti-rejection drugs.
Turek said that the concept of tolerance is the "holy grail" in organ transplants, and with the success of Easton's operation, medical advances are now on the doorstep.
He noted to BBC that the operation has the "potential to change the face of solid organ transplantation in the future."
Kaitlyn is brimming with happiness. She said she hopes that when Easton gets older, he will be proud of his scars. She said the scars are a reminder that they saved his life and other people's lives.
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