For the first time, a University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada team, successfully performed a human transplant of a kidney converted from blood type A to the universal type O. The procedure relies on UBC’s special enzymes as a key tool to reduce organ rejection.

Type-O patients can only receive type-O organs, yet type-O kidneys are often given to other blood types due to their universal compatibility. The researchers’ initial goal was to create universal donor blood by removing the sugars that determine blood type.