Benjamin Vermette

Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

4 publications 2025 – 2026 ORCID
RabbitsAnimals, Genetically ModifiedAntilymphocyte SerumComplement C3Creatinine

What does Benjamin Vermette research?

Benjamin Vermette studies how to successfully transplant kidneys from genetically modified pigs into humans, specifically looking at the immune responses that lead to rejection of these organs. His research involves understanding how the human body reacts to these foreign organs, tracking immune cells that attack the transplanted kidney, and developing ways to predict and manage these rejections. He works on enhancing the compatibility of pig organs for human use, exploring both the physiological performance of the kidneys in humans and the underlying immunological mechanisms that must be controlled for the transplants to last.

Key findings

  • In a study involving a pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead human, the organ maintained normal blood chemistry for weeks, successfully replacing dialysis until rejection occurred on day 33.
  • Specific T cell clones that recognized the pig kidney expanded in the bloodstream and accumulated in the kidney before rejection, indicating these cells can serve as early warning signals for impending organ rejection.
  • The research found that during rejection, there was a surge of pig-reactive T cell clones and the involvement of innate immune cells like natural killer cells, suggesting that both adaptive (T cells) and innate (natural killer cells) immune responses need to be managed for successful organ transplants.

Frequently asked questions

Does Dr. Vermette study kidney transplants?
Yes, Dr. Vermette specifically researches pig-to-human kidney transplants.
What kind of treatments has Dr. Vermette explored for preventing organ rejection?
He investigates targeted treatments that can reverse immune rejection and approaches to monitor and predict immune responses that lead to rejection.
Is Dr. Vermette's work important for patients needing organ transplants?
Yes, his research aims to improve the success of organ transplants from pigs to humans, which could provide much-needed organs for patients.

Publications in plain English

Physiology and immunology of a pig-to-human decedent kidney xenotransplant.

2026

Nature

Montgomery RA, Stern JM, Fathi F, Suek N, Kim JI +48 more

Plain English
A gene-edited pig kidney was transplanted into a brain-dead human and kept functioning for a planned 61-day study using only standard approved anti-rejection drugs. The kidney maintained stable electrolyte balance and eliminated the need for dialysis, but antibody-mediated rejection emerged on day 33 and was reversed with plasma exchange and complement inhibition. The study shows a minimally modified pig kidney can sustain human-equivalent kidney function and identifies pre-existing immune cells reactive to pig tissue as a key obstacle to long-term success.

PubMed

Publisher Correction: Physiology and immunology of a pig-to-human decedent kidney xenotransplant.

2026

Nature

Montgomery RA, Stern JM, Fathi F, Suek N, Kim JI +48 more

PubMed

Donor-reactive T cells and innate immune cells promote pig-to-human decedent xenograft rejection.

2025

Research square

Fathi F, Suek N, Vermette B, Breen K, Saad YS +14 more

Plain English
This study tracked how donor-reactive immune cells behaved during a 61-day pig-to-human decedent kidney transplant. Specific T cell clones that attack pig tissue were detected expanding in blood and the organ, and innate immune cells also contributed to rejection. The findings clarify the combined immune barriers that must be overcome before pig-to-human transplants can succeed in living patients.

PubMed

Coordinated circulating and tissue-based T cell responses precede xenograft rejection.

2025

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology

Novikova E, Severa E, Chen H, Doepke E, Chacon F +24 more

Plain English
Researchers transplanted a pig kidney-thymus combination into a deceased human and tracked the immune response over 61 days. T cells from the recipient infiltrated the organ and specific clones expanded in blood, tissue, and lymph nodes around rejection events. This reveals that T cell-driven rejection of pig organs in humans closely mirrors what happens with human-to-human transplants, informing how future immunosuppression strategies must be designed.

PubMed

Publication data sourced from PubMed . Plain-English summaries generated by AI. Not medical advice.