This is the first case in the world where a pig kidney was used as a temporary “bridge” until a human organ transplant, writes The Guardian.
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Tim Andrews was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes. His chances of receiving a human donor kidney within 5 years were only 9%, while the risk of death or removal from the transplant waiting list exceeded 40%.
Kidney transplantation in patients with end-stage kidney disease offers the best chance of survival and better quality of life. However, the demand for human organs worldwide far exceeds their supply.
In the United States, surgeons transplanted a kidney from Wilma, a Yucatan miniature pig, into T. Andrews. Before transplantation, the animal’s genetic material was modified to make the organ more compatible with the human immune system.
This kidney kept T. Andrews off dialysis for 271 days, or about nine months – the longest period recorded so far. When the organ stopped functioning, it was removed, and the patient received a human donor kidney.
This case is also the first time a pig kidney was used as a temporary solution to help a patient wait for a human donor organ. The study results were published in the medical journal The Lancet.
T. Andrews himself called the pig kidney transplant a “miracle.”
“I was alive, and for a long time I was not,” the man said. He said that after the transplant he was able to cook, vacuum his home, and walk for long periods with his dog Cupcake.
The pig kidney became a temporary solution
Transplantation of genetically modified pig organs into humans has long been considered one of the possible ways to address the global shortage of donor organs.
However, until now, the results have been much shorter. The first pig kidney transplant into a living human was performed in 2024. The patient lived with such a kidney for 52 days but later died from heart problems unrelated to the kidney. Until now, no study has recorded pig kidney function in the human body for longer than two months.
Wilma’s kidney was also carefully adapted to the human body before transplantation.
Before the surgery performed in January 2025, 69 genetic modifications were made to the pig’s genome. Some were aimed at reducing the risk of viruses that could pose a threat to humans, others to make the kidney more compatible with the human body and reduce the likelihood of immune rejection.
Scientists hope to address the donor organ shortage
“The shortage of organs is currently the biggest crisis we face in transplantation,” said Dr. Leonardo Riella from the Mass General Brigham Transplantation Science Center and Nephrology Department.
According to him, transplantation is the best treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease, but there simply are not enough human donor organs for everyone to receive them in time.
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The scientists’ vision is to initially use xenotransplantation as a “bridge” to help patients avoid dialysis while waiting for a human donor kidney.
In the future, if it is proven that such organs are safe enough and function for a long time, they could be used not only temporarily but also as a long-term treatment method.
After nine months, the pig kidney stopped functioning
However, the transplantation was not long-term.
About six months later, damage began to develop in the blood vessels of the pig kidney. It gradually progressed to organ failure, so the kidney was removed after nine months.
After several months spent back on dialysis, T. Andrews received a human donor kidney. After six months of monitoring, this organ was functioning well.
It is also important that doctors did not detect new antibodies against human tissues. This indicates that the previous pig kidney transplant did not complicate the subsequent human kidney transplant.
Moreover, no pig-specific viruses or other disease-causing agents were detected during the entire observation period.
It is still early to talk about routine treatment
Despite the impressive results, scientists emphasize that this was a single patient case, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of such a procedure for all patients.
T. Andrews was carefully selected, and his condition was constantly monitored by a team of specialists. Such intensive care options would not be available everywhere.
Therefore, more clinical trials will be needed to assess the safety, long-term effectiveness of this method, and to determine which patients it might be most suitable for.
Nevertheless, this case opens the possibility of using pig kidneys as a temporary solution for people who have to wait a long time for a human donor organ in the future.
“The real pioneers here are the patients,” said L. Riella. According to him, people who agree to participate in early-stage trials help scientists move forward.
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“Without their trust and courage, we could not do what we do,” he said.
