'Amazing feat': US man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant
10 hours ago
- #xenotransplantation
- #genetic modification
- #medical breakthrough
- A 67-year-old US man has survived more than six months with a genetically modified pig kidney, marking the longest survival of a pig organ in a human.
- The recipient, Tim Andrews, had end-stage kidney disease and has been dialysis-free since the transplant in January.
- The pig kidney was genetically modified to prevent rejection, reduce inflammation, and deactivate retroviruses.
- This case is considered a landmark in xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs to humans.
- Previous record was a 53-year-old woman who survived four months and nine days with a pig kidney before rejection occurred.
- Researchers highlight the first six months as the highest-risk period for transplant patients, making this survival a significant milestone.