The second kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig into a 54-year-old individual was successful.

Surgeons in the United States have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a living person for the second time.

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Apr 29, 2024 - 18:14
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The second kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig into a 54-year-old individual was successful.

Surgeons in the United States have succeeded in transplanting a genetically modified pig kidney into a living person for the second time, marking a significant breakthrough in organ transplantation from animals to humans.

The procedure took place at the Long Island Health Center in New York this April, on Lisa Bissano, a 54-year-old who suffered from heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. According to the scientific journal "Science Alert," doctors gave her only weeks to live without medical intervention.

Prior to the transplant, surgeons implanted a mechanical heart pump into Bissano, days before the surgery. The New York University Langone Health stated that this was the first of its kind globally in this combined procedure.

In addition to the genetically modified kidney, doctors also transplanted the pig's thymus gland, which helps "educate" the immune system and reduces the chances of organ rejection.

Chief surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery told reporters on Wednesday that the procedure was "a landmark in our journey to make life-saving organs available to anyone who needs them."

Montgomery, who also performed the world's first genetically modified pig-to-human kidney transplant on a deceased brain-dead person in 2021, said that the recent procedure "will bring closer the possibility of no one having to die."

However, the human body can reject animal organs, meaning they must be genetically modified to ensure compatibility, thus reducing risks to the patient.

Genetically modified pig hearts were transplanted in 2023 into two patients at the University of Maryland, but both survived for less than two months.

Doctors say it may take years to achieve a match for kidney transplantation, as the body rejects available donors, according to the hospital statement.