U.S. Woman Lives With Pig Kidney for 130 Days Before Organ Rejection
14 Apr, 2025 16:12 IST|Sakshi Post
A 53-year-old woman from Alabama, USA, became the first human to live with a pig’s kidney for 130 days. However, doctors had to remove the kidney after that period as her body began to reject it, The New York Times reported.
A kidney from a genetically modified pig had been transplanted into Towana Looney. This type of surgery is known as xenotransplantation—the effort to use organs, cells and tissue from animals to replace failed human organs.
According to doctors at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, Looney has now resumed dialysis.
Clarifying that the outcome of the procedure is not a setback for the field of xenotransplantation, Dr. Robert Montgomery—Ms. Looney’s surgeon and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute—told The New York Times: “All this takes time. This game is going to be won by incremental improvements, singles and doubles—not trying to swing for the fences and get a home run.”
Emphasizing that this is the longest an animal organ has ever lasted in a human body, he added that Looney’s safety was the top priority, especially considering her other health complications.
To date, another patient has undergone xenotransplantation and received a kidney from a genetically modified pig. Four patients—two who received kidneys and two who received hearts—died a few months after their transplants.
Xenotransplantation is an area of active research. Experiments have been underway since the 17th century when healthcare providers used animal blood transfusions to treat various conditions. In the 19th century, skin grafts from animals, especially frogs, were attempted, and by the 1960s, kidneys from 13 chimpanzees were transplanted into human patients. Of those, one patient lived with the animal kidney for nine months before dying suddenly—reportedly due to an electrolyte disturbance.
If successful, Xenotransplantation could resolve organ shortages and treat many disorders. There is a high demand for organ transplants in comparison to the number of individuals who donate their organs. In the US, over one lakh people are waiting for organs. The number is estimated to be as high as three lakh in India. Each individual can save up to eight lives if he/she pledges their organs.
