First living human survives pig kidney transplant for 271 days

Genetically modified pig kidney transplant extends survival for end-stage kidney failure patient without human donor

Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease from type 2 diabetes, survived 271 days without dialysis after receiving a genetically modified Yucatan miniature pig kidney. The transplant used Wilma, a pig with 69 genome edits. Andrews later received a human kidney that functioned for six months. No antibodies against human tissue or pig pathogens were detected during follow-up. This case represents the longest documented survival for pig kidney xenotransplantation in a living human. Andrews had less than a 9% chance of finding a human kidney donor within five years and faced over 40% risk of death without intervention. The research, published in the Lancet by Mass General Brigham, was conducted on a single patient with intensive specialist care that may not be replicable elsewhere. Further trials are needed to confirm long-term safety and durability. This approach could offer a potential pathway for some patients with extremely limited options in end-stage kidney failure who lack human donors, but it remains a single case with no comparison group. The source provides no population-level data on potential beneficiaries.

Source: Guardian