The Future of Dialysis and Kidney Xenotransplantation: Promise, Cost, and Barriers to Implementation

Background/Objectives: Dialysis remains essential for patients with kidney failure but replaces only part of kidney function and imposes a substantial treatment burden. Gene-edited porcine kidneys offer a possible additional source of organs, although clinical experience remains limited. This review examines advances in dialysis and kidney xenotransplantation, their evidence base, costs, and barriers to clinical use.

Methods

We undertook a targeted narrative update of clinical and technological reports, economic studies, and regulatory material. Randomized trials were considered separately from observational studies, target trial emulations, individual cases, preclinical experiments, and economic projections.