Patient survives 271 days with genetically modified pig kidney

A 66-year-old patient, Tim Andrews, has achieved a medical milestone by living for 271 days without dialysis following a genetically modified pig kidney transplant. The procedure, performed at Massachusetts General Hospital, marks the first reported successful transition from a pig kidney xenotransplant to a conventional human kidney transplant.

The experimental organ was engineered by biotechnology company eGenesis, which applied 69 genetic edits to the donor pig. These modifications were designed to reduce immune rejection risks, add human genes for better compatibility, and inactivate pig retroviruses. While the pig kidney eventually failed due to damage in its blood vessels after approximately nine months, it served as a critical bridge, allowing Andrews to survive until a compatible human donor became available.

Medical researchers, including Leonardo Riella of Mass General Brigham, suggest that such xenotransplantation could eventually serve as a vital bridge for patients facing long waits for human organs, potentially alleviating the severe shortage of available donors in transplant medicine.