After years on the kidney transplant waiting list, 53-year-old Alabama resident Towana Looney has received a functioning kidney from a gene-edited pig, according to CNN, this makes her the only person in the world currently living with such an organ. Doctors at NYU Langone Transplant Institute in New York performed the surgery on November 25, and just eleven days later, Looney walked out of the hospital to applause.
Looney’s kidney problems began after she donated one of her own kidneys to her mother in 1999. Later, pregnancy complications and a blood transfusion made finding a matching human donor nearly impossible. In 2017, she joined more than 90,000 others awaiting a donor kidney in the U.S., relying on dialysis to survive.
Pigs offer a promising alternative. Their organs are similar to human ones, and gene editing can reduce the likelihood of rejection. Looney’s transplanted pig kidney features 10 gene edits to make it more compatible. NYU’s Dr. Robert Montgomery says the kidney started working immediately, and Looney’s health is now closely monitored with wearable devices and daily checkups.
This is only the third time a living patient has received a gene-edited pig kidney. Earlier cases saw mixed outcomes, but Looney’s procedure went smoothly. Although she must continue taking medications to prevent rejection, she hopes to return home in about three months. Her ultimate goal is to resume a normal life and spend time with her family and grandchildren.
The promise of pig-to-human organ transplants, known as xenotransplantation, is gaining momentum. With more research and a few additional compassionate-use cases, Montgomery predicts clinical trials may begin as soon as 2025. Within a decade, he believes these procedures could become routine, offering a lifeline to the thousands who die each year waiting for a suitable human organ donor.
For Looney, who chose this experimental option to “help so many people,” it already feels transformative. Having regained her energy and freedom from dialysis, she is a testament to what could soon be a new standard in life-saving medicine.
Photo: seyfutdinovaolga
