Developing human-compatible organs for a world in need.
National Geographic
The five-year mortality rate associated with dialysis. Higher than that of the most common cancers. Genetically engineered porcine-derived kidneys offer a promising solution to this crisis.
Our Science
From gene edits to human-compatible donors for transplant.
Multiplex gene editing enables genetic modifications to address numerous mechanisms of human rejection of a non-human organ.
Editing the Genome
Our approach focuses on three classes of genetic edits to make organs safe and compatible for patients.
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Endogenous Retroviral Inactivation (RI)
Addressing the risk of retroviral transmission by eliminating viral replication elements.
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Triple Gene Knockout (TKO)
Eliminating three glycan antigens to prevent hyperacute immune rejection.
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Human Transgene Insertion
Insertion of human transgenes to regulate immune response, reduce inflammation, improve coagulation compatibility and regulate complement activation.
- Coagulation
- Inflammation/Apoptosis
- Innate Immunity
- Complement
Donor Production
Edited porcine cells are then used to produce genetically engineered donors suitable for transplant.
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Illustration of modified dna.
Cell Expansion and Genetic Verification
Once the genetic changes have been made to porcine cells, we verify edits and select optimal cells for use in production.
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Illustration of cloned cells with a checkmark.
Donor Organs
Edited cells are then cloned to produce embryos carrying these edits. Embryos implanted into surrogates develop through birth and maturity. These donors are raised in high-biosecurity facilities to ensure optimal donor health and safety. Donor testing is performed routinely, and regulatory-compliant release testing is performed before transplant.
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Kidney | EGEN-2784
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a clinical trial evaluating EGEN-2784, a genetically engineered porcine-derived kidney, in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The IND supports a Phase 1/2/3 study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of EGEN-2784 at 24 weeks post-transplant in patients with ESKD who are age 50 or older, dialysis-dependent, and on the kidney transplant waitlist.
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Liver | EGEN-5784 ELC
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the investigational new drug (IND) application for EGEN-5784, a human-compatible, genetically engineered porcine liver, used in combination with the OrganOx extracorporeal liver cross-circulation (ELC) system, for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) suffering from decompensated liver function in the intensive care setting.