Revolutionizing Organ Transplants: Pig Kidney and Thymus Gland Successfully Transplanted into Living Person

For the second time in history, surgeons have successfully transplanted a modified pig kidney into a living person. The patient also received a heart pump and a porcine thymus gland to reduce the chances of rejection. Two weeks after the operation, the patient is reported to be feeling satisfactory. The surgery took place at New York University Langone Health in mid-April.

Lisa Pisano, 54, had been suffering from heart failure and end-stage kidney disease for years. Her body had rejected all available human donor organs, according to the hospital. The operation was conducted in two stages, with the heart pump being implanted first and the kidney transplant following once it was working properly.

In addition to the gene-edited kidney, doctors performed the first-ever transplant of a pig’s thymus gland into a living patient at New York University Langone Health. This is a significant step as it could impact the patient’s entire immune system. The hope is that this procedure will help reduce the likelihood of organ rejection and support the patient’s recovery.

The first transplant of a pig kidney into a living patient occurred in March at Massachusetts General Hospital on a 62-year-old man. A month and a half later, he is reported to be at home under doctor’s supervision and feeling well. Previous transplants of genetically modified pig hearts at the University of Maryland resulted in patients living less than two months post-transplantation.

Lisa Pisano expressed that she had exhausted all other options before deciding to undergo the surgery. She hopes that if it doesn’t benefit her, it may help someone else in the future who may be experiencing similar conditions like hers or have exhausted all other options for organ donation.

Nearly two weeks post-operation, Pisano shows no signs of organ rejection, and her lead surgeon at Langone Health reports that her new kidney is functioning perfectly.

This successful transplant marks an important milestone in medical science and paves the way for further research on porcine organ transplants.