An American man survived a record 271 days with a genetically modified pig kidney before doctors in Boston replaced the organ with a human kidney earlier this year. Researchers announced Thursday that he has continued to live following the human kidney transplant.
The treatment, performed by Mass General Brigham, represents a significant advance in xenotransplantation — the transplantation of living organs between different species. The case was detailed in a study published in the medical journal The Lancet.
The findings suggest that pig kidneys may safely maintain kidney function and serve as a temporary “bridge” for patients awaiting a human kidney transplant, the study authors wrote.
Tim Andrews was 66 years old when he received a pig kidney transplant on Jan. 25, 2025, according to Massachusetts General Hospital. He did not need dialysis for the following 271 days, until doctors performed a human kidney transplant.
“His case represents the longest survival without dialysis after pig kidney xenotransplantation in a living human and the first transition to human kidney transplantation,” the hospital said.
Xenotransplantation could eventually become a lifesaving option for people with kidney failure, according to study lead author Dr. Leonardo Riella.
“Organ shortage is the biggest crisis we currently face in transplantation,” Riella wrote. “We know that transplantation is the best treatment option for patients with end-stage renal disease who develop kidney failure, but there are not enough human organs to transplant in a timely manner.”
More than 100,000 people are on the nationwide transplant waiting list, and most are waiting for a kidney. For patients like Andrews, a pig kidney could provide critical time while they wait for a compatible human donor.
“Our vision is that xenotransplantation could help address this gap, initially as a bridge to free patients from dialysis while waiting for a human donor kidney,” Riella said. “Once long-term safety and durability are established, it could become a treatment modality in its own right.”
Mass General performed the world’s first pig-to-human kidney transplant in 2024. That patient lived for 52 days before dying from heart disease unrelated to the transplant, according to the hospital.
Source: www.nbcnews.com