A Pig’s Kidney Saved This Man’s Life. The Transplant Tech Behind It Could Save 90,000 More
The organ came from a Yucatan miniature pig named Wilma, and genetic editing helped make it possible.
A medical breakthrough for gene-edited organ technology is offering hope for tens of thousands of people suffering from kidney disease.
A New Hampshire man survived for a record nine months with a genetically modified pig kidney, and then he received a successful human transplant. During that historic stretch, 66-year-old Tim Andrews did not require dialysis, despite suffering from end-stage kidney disease. In a report of the case, published on Thursday in The Lancet medical journal, researchers refer to the pig organ as a “bridge.”
We know that the best treatment option
“We know that the best treatment option for patients with end-stage kidney disease who have developed renal failure is transplantation, but we simply don’t have enough human organs to transplant in a timely manner,” lead author and Mass General Brigham physician Leonardo Riella said in a statement. “Our vision is that xenotransplantation could help address this gap—initially as a bridge to get patients off dialysis while they wait for a human donor kidney, and potentially, as we establish long-term safety and durability, as a destination therapy in its own right.”
Prior to receiving the pig kidney, Andrews was receiving dialysis for end-stage kidney disease, which was caused by diabetes. He was too weak to walk, had little appetite, and had experienced two heart attacks Andrews desperately needed a human kidney transplant, but only had about a 9 percent odds of receiving one within the next five years, The Guardian reported, whereas his odds of dying or being removed from the waitlist were 40 percent
Weekly roundup of the latest in tech news
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Wilma, a Yucatan miniature pig, was Andrews’ unlikely donor. She had received 69 genome edits prior to the January 2025 transplant. Some made the organ more compatible for humans, others attempted to stave off disease, The Guardian reported. Post-transplant, the organ functioned immediately. After about six months, however, it started to develop damage in blood vessels and inflammation that resulted in its eventual failure. Andrews survived for a total of 271 days, dialysis-free, before the organ failed.
Andrews wasn’t the first patient ever to receive
Andrews wasn’t the first patient ever to receive a genetically modified pig kidney. A patient received one in 2024, but only survived 52 days before dying of unrelated heart issues.
“The patients are the true pioneers here,” Riella said in the statement. “By stepping forward and being willing to participate in these early-stage studies, they are advancing the science. Without their trust and courage, we would not be able to do what we do.”
There are about 90,000 people across the U.S. currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and 11 die every day Riella and his fellow researchers hope Andrews’ case illustrates the promise of using genetically modified animal organs as bridge transplants for the seriously ill
Get 1 Smart Business Storydelivered straight to your inbox when you subscribe to Inc.’s free daily newsletter.
Source: www.inc.com
