Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Survives in Human for 271 Days
Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man, lived for 271 days with a genetically modified pig kidney, the longest duration recorded for such a transplant. The procedure is seen as a potential advancement in addressing the organ transplant shortage.
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A pig kidney transplanted into Tim Andrews lasted for 271 days, marking the longest such transplant on record before it was removed due to failure. In the U.S., approximately 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney, yet only 25,000 transplants occur annually, showcasing the critical shortage of available organs. Researchers developed Yucatan miniature pigs with 69 genomic modifications to help humanize their organs, providing hope for patients like Andrews who face long waits for human donor kidneys.
A genetically modified pig kidney kept 66-year-old Tim Andrews alive without dialysis for a record 271 days, acting as a "bridge" to a human transplant after he faced severe kidney failure with only a 9% chance of receiving a human kidney in five years. The kidney, from a pig named Wilma, underwent 69 genetic edits to enhance compatibility with humans, and this marked the first successful case of a pig kidney being used as a temporary organ for a human transplant, exceeding the previous survival record of two months. Ultimately, after nine months, the pig kidney began to fail due to vascular damage, leading to the eventual transplant of a human kidney, which functioned well with no detection of new antibodies or pig pathogens.