Alabama Woman Towana Looney Receives Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant at NYU Langone Health, Ending Eight Years of Dialysis

Dec 17, 2024, 03:59 PM

Towana Looney, a 53-year-old woman from Alabama, has successfully received a gene-edited pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health, marking her as the third person to undergo this experimental procedure. The transplant, performed in late November 2024, has freed her from eight years of dialysis. Looney's recovery is being closely monitored, as previous recipients of pig organs faced serious complications, with all prior cases resulting in death within two months. This latest transplant is part of ongoing research into xenotransplantation, aimed at addressing the shortage of human organs for transplant. Looney's case is particularly notable as she was in better health compared to earlier recipients, raising hopes for improved outcomes in future xenotransplant trials.