SEPTEMBER 14, 2023:
NEW YORK (AP) — For a history-making two months, a pig’s kidney worked normally inside a brain-dead man. And while the dramatic experiment ended this week, it’s raising hope for eventually testing pig kidneys in living patients. Surgeons at NYU Langone Health removed the pig kidney and returned the donated body to his family for cremation. The genetically modified kidney worked properly the first month before showing subtle signs that rejection was forming. But doctors say the kidney’s function bounced back with simple medication changes. The lessons could help as regulators decide whether to allow clinical trials of pig organs.
Extended version:
JANUARY 20, 2022:
UNDATED (AP)- U.S. researchers are reporting the latest in a surprising string of experiments in the quest to save human lives with organs from genetically modified pigs. This time, surgeons in Alabama transplanted a pair of pig kidneys into a brain-dead man. It was a step-by-step rehearsal for an operation they hope to try in living patients possibly later this year (2022). Similar attempts have made headlines in recent months as research into animal-to-human transplants heats up. Earlier attempts at using animal organs have failed. With new techniques to genetically alter pig genes so their organs are more human-like, some scientists are ready to try again.
Comments