Alabama Woman, 53, in 'Extraordinary' Health After Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant

Dec 17, 2024, 02:28 PM

A 53-year-old Alabama woman is recovering well after receiving an experimental gene-edited pig kidney transplant last month at NYU Langone Health, freeing her from eight years of dialysis. This marks the latest effort to address organ shortages by using animal organs in human patients. Doctors report that she is in "extraordinary" health, making her the third living person to receive a pig kidney transplant successfully. The woman expressed gratitude, saying, "It's a blessing" and "I've been given a second chance at life." Previous attempts faced challenges, as four patients who received pig organs died within two months. The success of this procedure offers hope for improved outcomes and could pave the way for future advancements in organ transplantation.