Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) achieved a historic first by transplanting a kidney converted from blood type A to universal blood type O using specialized enzymes developed at UBC. The enzyme-treated kidney functioned without hyperacute rejection for two days in a brain-dead recipient, demonstrating promise for overcoming blood-type incompatibility in organ transplants. This advancement could notably reduce wait times for type O patients who currently face limited donor availability. Details of the methodology and outcomes were published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The enzymes were discovered and developed by UBC professors emeritus Stephen Withers and Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu starting in the early 2010s, aiming to strip blood type sugars to create universal donor organs. This approach fundamentally changes the organ itself, potentially enabling faster transplant procedures with fewer complications compared to current immune suppression tactics.