Imagine if one donated kidney could save anyone, no matter their blood type. Sounds like science fiction, right? Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have taken the first major step toward creating universal donor organs.
They turned a type-A kidney into a universal type-O kidney and successfully transplanted it into a brain-dead human, with family approval. According to the study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering and shared by UBC, this breakthrough could revolutionise how organ transplants are done and help thousands of people waiting for a kidney.
Dr. Stephen Withers, UBC professor and co-lead researcher said: Seeing our discoveries edge closer to real-world impact is what keeps us pushing forward. What exactly happened In this first-of-its-kind experiment, scientists used a special enzyme treatment to “wash” a donated type-A kidney and remove the molecules (called antigens) that make blood types different. By doing this, they turned the kidney into a type-O organ, often called a universal donor kidney, because type-O blood lacks those antigens that cause rejection. The newly converted kidney was then transplanted into a brain-dead person (with permission from the family) to safely test how the human body reacts. And it worked, at least for a while. The kidney functioned normally for two days without rejection. On the third day, some blood-type markers came back, and the immune system started reacting. Still, that short success proved that the concept works.
Why it’s a big deal for patients Right now, blood type matching is one of the biggest barriers to organ transplants. If your blood type doesn’t match your donor’s, your immune system attacks the organ like it’s an invader. That’s why people with type-O blood, who make up almost half of all kidney transplant candidates, have to wait the longest, sometimes 2–4 years more than others. This new enzyme technique could turn more donated organs into universal ones, meaning shorter waits, fewer complications, and better chances of survival. Dr. Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, co-lead researcher at UBC’s Centre for Blood Research said: It changes the organ, not the patient — and that’s what makes it revolutionary. How does it work Think of the process as giving the kidney a chemical makeover. It’s like removing the “red paint” (type A markers) from a car to reveal a neutral color (type O) underneath. Once that’s done, the immune system no longer recognises it as foreign. Could this save lives in the future Absolutely, and not just kidneys. The same enzyme-based process has already been tested on lungs and could eventually be applied to hearts, livers, and other organs. If perfected, this technique could: UBC researchers are now preparing for clinical trials, led by their spin-off company Avivo Biomedical, to bring this enzyme technology closer to real hospital use. A step toward universal organs While this experiment was only temporary and needs more work, it marks a turning point in transplant medicine. For decades, blood-type mismatch has been one of the main reasons organs go unused or patients die waiting. But with enzyme technology, that barrier could finally fall. Dr. Stephen Withers, University of British Columbia, explained: This is what it looks like when years of basic science finally connect to patient care. If successful, this could mean a future where any kidney can go to any patient, no matter their blood type, and that could save thousands of lives every year.
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