Patient lived with world's first pig kidney transplant for nine months before getting human organ
- On Thursday, a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital reached a record-setting 285 days living with a genetically edited pig kidney without needing dialysis. Cambridge-based biotech company eGenesis confirmed the organ, modified using Crispr gene editing, remains fully functional.
- Dr. Leonardo Riella, medical director for kidney transplantation at Mass General Brigham, views xenotransplantation as a temporary "bridge" to help patients avoid dialysis. The procedure addresses a critical shortage: more than 95,000 Americans currently wait for a human kidney.
- Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old from New Hampshire, previously held the record at 271 days with a pig kidney. Andrews called the transplant a "miracle" that gave him "hope," though he later needed dialysis before receiving a human donor organ.
- A study published in The Lancet identified that Andrews' pig kidney failed due to thrombotic microangiopathy—tiny blood clots in the organ. Doctors are adjusting immunosuppressant medications and refining protocols based on these findings to improve outcomes for future recipients.
- The FDA has authorized eGenesis to conduct formal trials in up to 33 patients with kidney failure beginning in 2027. Researchers aim to establish pig-to-human transplantation as a long-term destination therapy, not merely a temporary bridge.
155 Articles
155 Articles
For 271 days, Tim Andrews was able to live without dialysis thanks to a kidney from a genetically modified pig. The organ finally failed, but , in a case that American researchers consider a breakthrough for the future of xenosplants. Although the procedure was previously performed, the case of Andrews marked the longest period ... Continue reading "He lived 271 days with a pig kidney and managed to stop dialysis: the historic case of man in the…
In Medical First, Pig Kidney Serves as a 'Bridge'
A New Hampshire man just became the answer to a question transplant medicine has been asking for years. Tim Andrews spent nine months living with a kidney grown in a gene-edited pig, then successfully received a human kidney—the first documented case of a pig organ acting as a "bridge"...
The case of a 66-year-old man published in Lancet, the first in history. Giuseppe Feltrin, director of the National Transplant Centre, in Huffpost: "Xenotransplantation is no longer just a theoretical perspective, but an advanced frontier of research that could have relapses in a relatively near future."
Xenotransplantation: The 'Bridge' Strategy Gains Traction After Major Trial
The case of 66-year-old Tim Andrews has redefined the potential of xenotransplantation—the practice of transplanting animal organs into humans. While traditionally viewed as a quest for permanent replacements for scarce human organs, Andrews' experience suggests a new, more achievable role: a temporary "bridge" to keep patients off dialysis while awaiting a suitable human donor. A Modified Porcine Kidney's Nine-Month Tenure Andrews received a ge…
The chances of a human donor kidney were bad. The man needed time – and that was exactly what the animal organ gave him.
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