Genetically modified pig kidney keeps man alive for record nine months
Summary
A genetically modified pig kidney was transplanted into a 66-year-old man with kidney failure, keeping him alive and off dialysis for nine months before he received a human kidney. This is the longest survival time recorded for a pig kidney in a living person and the first pig kidney used as a temporary step before a human transplant.Key Facts
- The patient, Tim Andrews, had end-stage kidney disease and a low chance of a timely human transplant.
- The pig kidney came from Wilma, a Yucatan miniature pig genetically altered to reduce immune rejection and risk from pig viruses.
- The transplant happened at Massachusetts General Hospital in January 2025.
- The pig kidney kept Andrews alive and functioning for 271 days (about nine months).
- After the pig kidney started failing, Andrews received a human kidney from a deceased donor.
- This case is the longest dialysis-free survival with a pig kidney transplant recorded.
- The pig kidney transplant acted as a “bridge” to the human transplant, helping Andrews live better meanwhile.
- Researchers hope this method can help fix the shortage of human organs for transplant patients.
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