"A 67-year-old US man is still alive more than six months after receiving a kidney from a genetically modified pig. This is the longest a pig organ has survived in a living person. Researchers say the outcome is a landmark case of successful xenotransplantation - the process of transplanting organs from animals to humans. The recipient, Tim Andrews, had end-stage kidney disease and had been receiving dialysis for more than two years before he underwent the surgery in January."
"Reaching six months' survival is an amazing feat, says Wayne Hawthorne, a transplant surgeon at the University of Sydney in Australia. The first six months is the period of "highest risk for the patient and also the transplant", he adds. Possible complications include anaemia and graft rejection, when the immune system attacks the new organ. "The six-month time point marks that things have gone extremely well," Hawthorne says. Reaching 12 months would be another milestone and a "fantastic long-term outcome", he adds."
A 67-year-old US man with end-stage kidney disease received a genetically modified pig kidney and has been dialysis-free for more than six months. The transplant marks the longest survival of a pig organ in a living person to date. The pig kidney had three types of genetic modifications: removal of three antigens to reduce rejection, addition of seven human genes to lower inflammation and bleeding risk, and deactivation of pig retroviruses. Experts note the first six months carry the highest risk for complications such as anaemia and graft rejection; reaching 12 months would be a further milestone.
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