Alabama Woman, 5th American, Receives Gene-Edited Pig Kidney at NYU Langone, Freed from Dialysis

Dec 17, 2024, 06:30 PM

Towana Looney, a 53-year-old woman from Alabama, has successfully undergone a pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health in New York on November 25, 2024, marking her as the fifth American to receive a gene-edited pig organ. This is the third instance of a living patient receiving a genetically modified pig kidney, which features 10 gene edits to enhance compatibility with human bodies. Looney, who had been on dialysis for eight years due to kidney failure following a pregnancy complication, is recovering well and was discharged from the hospital 11 days after the surgery. The transplant has freed her from dialysis, and she is currently living in an apartment near the hospital for daily checkups. The kidney was provided by Revivicor. This procedure is part of ongoing efforts to address the chronic shortage of organs for transplantation, with more than 100,000 people on the U.S. transplant list, the majority needing kidneys.