This is the first time in history that a pig kidney was successfully transplanted into a human without getting rejected by the body. The experimental surgery happened at NYU Langone Health in New York City with a pig whose tissue didn’t have the molecule in it that’s known to make a human body reject the transplant instantly.
The recipient was a female with some kidney dysfunction who was also brain-dead and on life support. Her parents consented to the experimental surgery prior to taking her off of the support system to see if it may be an option for those in a better situation.
If this could become a real possibility for those on the transplant list, it would be a game-changer. In the U.S. alone we have over 90,000 people waiting for a kidney and this could be the answer to helping more patients in need.
This could be the future of transplants and the hope some are looking for.
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