An Alabama woman who received a pig kidney transplant has had the organ removed after a record 130 days of function. Doctors announced the removal on Friday, explaining that the woman's body began to reject the kidney. This marks a significant, though ultimately unsuccessful, milestone in xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs into humans.
The patient, whose name has not been released, had been closely monitored since receiving the genetically modified pig kidney. The 130-day period represents the longest a pig kidney has functioned inside a human. While the rejection is disappointing, medical experts emphasize the importance of the data collected during this experiment. This information will be invaluable in refining future xenotransplantation efforts.
The woman has returned to dialysis treatment as she awaits a suitable human kidney donor. Researchers remain optimistic about the potential of xenotransplantation to alleviate the critical shortage of human organs available for transplant. They are actively working to improve the compatibility of animal organs with the human immune system.
Pig Kidney Removed After Record 130 Days in Human
Doctors in Alabama removed a pig kidney from a woman after it functioned for a record 130 days. The woman's body began rejecting the organ, leading to its removal. While a setback, this xenotransplantation experiment provides valuable data for future research. The patient has returned to dialysis.
Source: Read the original article at NBC