A pig’s kidney transplanted into a human body has been functioning normally for over a month, a significant milestone that surgeons believe could pave the way for life-saving procedures in the future.
The experimental surgery was conducted with the consent of the family of a man who had been declared brain dead and chose to donate his body to scientific research.
NYU Langone Health announced this achievement on Wednesday, marking the longest duration a genetically-engineered pig kidney has sustained in a human recipient, as stated by researchers.
The recipient, sustained with a beating heart on ventilator support, has successfully maintained kidney function for 32 days without rejection, using a kidney modified with a single genetic alteration and without experimental medications or devices, according to Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, who led the procedure.
Historically, challenges with animal-to-human transplants, known as xenotransplantation, have been primarily due to immune rejection of foreign tissue.
Advancements now include genetic modifications aimed at better compatibility with human physiology.
In a notable case last year, surgeons at the University of Maryland made headlines by implanting a gene-edited pig heart into a terminally ill patient, who survived for two months before the organ ceased functioning, though the exact reasons remain unclear but provide valuable insights for future attempts.
The ongoing study will continue monitoring the kidney’s performance into its second month.
Separately, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reported another successful xenotransplant involving a pig-to-human kidney transplant that provided vital kidney function for seven days in a deceased recipient, as published in the journal JAMA Surgery.
“While our findings are based on a single case and thus have limited generalizability,” noted Dr. Jayme Locke, a transplant surgeon at UAB, “the study underscores the potential viability of xenotransplantation as a solution to the critical shortage of transplantable organs, which annually results in thousands of preventable deaths.”
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, over 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently awaiting organ transplants across all categories, underscoring the urgent need.
Yet, the number of available organ donations remains significantly lower. From January to July of this year, the network reported a total of 27,169 transplants performed.
The possibility that pig kidneys could one day alleviate this shortage compelled the family of 57-year-old Maurice “Mo” Miller from upstate New York to donate his body for NYU’s experimental pig kidney transplant.
“I struggled with it,” his sister, Mary Miller-Duffy, shared with The Associated Press. “But he was all about helping others, and I think this is what my brother would want. So I offered my brother to them.”
“He’s going to be in the medical books, and he will live on forever,” she added.
Two years ago, NYU achieved a breakthrough by successfully transplanting a pig kidney into a human recipient without immediate rejection.
In an exclusive interview with CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook, Dr. Montgomery reflected on the momentous occasion.
“The kidney turned a beautiful pink color, and immediately urine started pouring out of the ureter,” Montgomery recalled.
“There was complete silence for a few minutes while we were sort of taking in what we were looking at, which was incredible. It was a kidney that was immediately functioning.”
Montgomery expressed optimism that ongoing research could lead to a future where organ shortages no longer lead to unnecessary deaths.
“I think it will be something that, you know, eventually will be perfected to the point where it’ll be an alternative to a human organ,” he concluded. “I have hope.”
