Pig Kidney Transplant Works for 271 Days
A genetically modified pig kidney transplant functioned for a record 271 days in a 66-year-old US man with kidney failure, offering new hope for patients facing long waiting times for human kidneys
A 66-year-old man with kidney failure received a genetically modified pig kidney transplant in January 2025, which functioned for 271 days, marking a milestone in xenotransplantation. The patient, who had end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes, had been on dialysis for two years before the transplant and was told it could take seven years to get to the top of the waiting list for a human kidney transplant.
The pig kidney was genetically modified with 69 genomic modifications to improve compatibility and safety. The transplant was successful, and the patient did not show any signs of antibodies against human tissue, which would have made it nearly impossible for him to receive a human kidney transplant later.
The patient later received a human kidney transplant after the pig kidney transplant, which is a significant development in the field of xenotransplantation. This breakthrough offers new hope for patients facing long waiting times for human kidneys. Around 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant in the US, while only 25,000 transplants occur each year. More than 7,000 people are on the kidney transplant list in the UK.
## What it means The success of the pig kidney transplant is a significant step forward in addressing the shortage of human organs available for transplantation. The use of genetically modified pig kidneys as a bridge to human transplants could potentially save thousands of lives. The patient's estimated probability of receiving a human kidney transplant was approximately 9%, whereas the estimated risk of death or removal from the waiting list exceeded 40%. The pig kidney transplant gave him a new lease on life, and he was eventually able to receive a human kidney transplant.
## Why it matters The development of xenotransplantation using genetically modified pig kidneys has the potential to revolutionize the field of organ transplantation. With the shortage of human organs available for transplantation, the use of animal organs could provide a lifeline for patients in need. The success of this transplant is a significant step forward in addressing this shortage and offers new hope for patients facing long waiting times for human kidneys.
The patient's case provides early proof of an intriguing concept in transplant medicine: that pig kidneys, while not yet a permanent solution, could offer “bridges” to transplants with human organs. The kidneys come from pigs that have undergone numerous genetic edits, including some designed to prevent a severe organ rejection response and others to inactivate viruses in the pig genome.
