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For the first time, a pig kidney has been transplanted into a human without triggering immediate rejection by the recipient's immune system, a potentially major advance that could eventually help alleviate a dire shortage of human organs for transplant.

The procedure done at NYU Langone Health in New York City involved use of a pig whose genes had been altered so that its tissues no longer contained a molecule known to trigger almost immediate rejection.

The recipient was a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction whose family consented to the experiment before she was due to be taken off of life support, researchers told Reuters.

For three days, the new kidney was attached to her blood vessels and maintained outside her body, giving researchers access to it.

Test results of the transplanted kidney's function "looked pretty normal," said transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the study.

The kidney made "the amount of urine that you would expect" from a transplanted human kidney, he said, and there was no evidence of the vigorous, early rejection seen when unmodified pig kidneys are transplanted into non-human primates.

The recipient's abnormal creatinine level - an indicator of poor kidney function - returned to normal after the transplant, Montgomery said.

In the United States, nearly 107,000 people are presently waiting for organ transplants, including more than 90,000 awaiting a kidney, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Wait times for a kidney average three-to-five years.

Researchers have been working for decades on the possibility of using animal organs for transplants, but have been stymied over how to prevent immediate rejection by the human body.

Montgomery's team theorised that knocking out the pig gene for a carbohydrate that triggers rejection - a sugar molecule, or glycan, called alpha-gal - would prevent the problem.

The genetically altered pig, dubbed GalSafe, was developed by United Therapeutics Corp's Revivicor unit and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in December 2020.

Medical products developed from the pigs would still require specific FDA approval before being used in humans, the agency said.

Other researchers are considering whether GalSafe pigs can be sources of everything from heart valves to skin grafts for human patients.

The NYU kidney transplant experiment should pave the way for trials in patients with end-stage kidney failure, possibly in the next year or two, said Montgomery, himself a heart transplant recipient.

Those trials might test the approach as a short-term solution for critically ill patients until a human kidney becomes available, or as a permanent graft.

© RAW 2021

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The search for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith is set to continue as police admit there's evidence to suggest she was taken from her West Australian campsite.

Authorities have confirmed the family's tent was found open at a height Cleo could not have reached when she disappeared from the popular Blowholes site, on WA's northwest coast, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Her red and black sleeping bag is also missing.

Homicide detectives are assisting local police and investigators have spoken to up to 20 registered sex offenders in the Carnarvon area, but say there are currently no suspects.

Detectives are also re-examining nearby shacks along the coastline as the search for the girl enters its sixth day.

"There's circumstances around her disappearance that make it very concerning and it's things like the fact that the (tent) zipper was allegedly up so high, the sleeping bag is missing," Inspector Jon Munday told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are hopeful that Cleo is still alive and we're operating on the premise that she is still alive, so we're going to keep searching until we find her."

Inspector Munday said the family were Carnarvon locals and he understood they had set up their tent "in the same vicinity as people they knew".

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith has said the little girl would never wander off on her own and someone must know where she is.

She said she and her partner Jake Gliddon had last seen Cleo about 1.30am on Saturday in the family's tent. They woke around 6am, when Cleo's baby sister Isla wanted a bottle, to discover Cleo was gone and the tent was "completely open".

"She would never leave us, she would never leave the tent," Ms Smith said, describing Cleo as a beautiful and delicate girl with "the biggest heart".

© AAP 2021

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Former Australian Test cricketer Michael Slater has been charged with stalking and harassment offences over a domestic violence incident.

The 51-year-old was arrested on Wednesday at a home in Manly on Sydney's northern beaches.

He was taken to Manly Police Station, interviewed and later charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and with "stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm".

Slater was granted conditional bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on November 11.

He made no comment as he left the police station with his lawyer.

In a statement, police said officers attached to the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command began an investigation on Tuesday after receiving reports of a domestic violence incident alleged to have occurred on October 12.

Slater played in 74 Tests for Australia, scoring 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 after making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour of England.

The opening batsman also played 42 one-day internationals scoring just under 1000 runs before retiring from major cricket in 2004.

Slater was recently dropped from the Seven Network's commentary team for the upcoming summer cricket season, with the network choosing not to renew his contract, citing budgetary pressures.

He had previously worked as a commentator and personality for more than a decade on the rival Nine Network.

In 2021, Slater travelled to India to commentate on the Indian Premier League competition and as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated there, made controversial comments on social media criticising Australia's travel restrictions when a flight ban from India was imposed in response to escalating virus infections.

At one stage he claimed Prime Minister Scott Morrison had "blood on his hands" over his handling of the situation.

"If our government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home," Slater tweeted on May 3.

"It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system."

Mr Morrison later described the comments as "obviously absurd".

Slater eventually made it to the Maldives before returning to Australia, a route also taken by other Australian players, coaches and officials at the IPL.

His Twitter feed has been inactive since.

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Former Australian Test cricketer Michael Slater has been arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident.

NSW Police have confirmed a 51-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday at a home in Manly on Sydney's northern beaches.

He was taken to Manly Police Station and has not been charged.

Officers began investigating on Tuesday after receiving reports of an alleged domestic violence incident.

The opening batsman played in 74 Tests for Australia scoring 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 after making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour of England.

He also played 42 one-day internationals scoring just under 1000 runs before retiring from major cricket in 2004.

Slater was recently dropped from Channel Seven's commentary team for the upcoming summer cricket season, with the network choosing not to renew his contract, citing budgetary pressures.

He had previously worked as a commentator and personality for more than a decade on the rival Nine Network.

In 2021, Slater travelled to India to commentate on the Indian Premier League competition and as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, made controversial comments criticising Australia's travel restrictions.

At one stage he claimed Prime Minister Scott Morrison had "blood on his hands" over his handling of the pandemic.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14

© AAP 2021