The evolutionary history of urate metabolism sheds light on the risks of kidney xenografts

On March 21, 2024, the transplantation of a genetically modified pig kidney into a living human introduced into medical practice the preclinical study described by Anand, RP et al., offering hope to numerous patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. The study carefully tackled biological barriers to clinical application of xenografts, namely immune response and cross-species infections. However, a more comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary context of kidney functionality is expected to provide insights into the post-intervention treatments and future advancements in xenotransplants.