Xenotransplantation of Pig Organs for Human Transplants

Developing StoryLast updated MAR 10
SUMMARY

On March 9, 2026, Dr. Robert Montgomery, a leading surgeon, predicted that an unlimited supply of pig organs for human transplants, potentially without immunosuppression, could be achievable within our lifetime, noting that gene-edited pigs are already in clinical trials. As of March 9, 2026, a gene-edited pig liver successfully supported a Chinese patient with liver failure for three days as a bridge to a human transplant, as reported in Nature Medicine. This follows a record 171-day function of a gene-edited pig liver in a human patient, and an Alabama woman thriving for over 61 days after a pig kidney transplant. However, a paper in Advanced Biology argues that xenotransplantation faces challenges due to high costs and safety concerns, including rejection and infectious disease transmission, despite new technologies like "Immune-Shield" developed on March 5, 2026, to deliver immunosuppressants directly to transplanted organs.

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2026

8 updates

Surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery predicts that unlimited pig organs for human transplants could be achievable within our lifetime, aiming for no immunosuppression and an unlimited supply. He notes that gene-edited pigs are already in clinical trials, with some using thymus transplants to help reduce the need for immunosuppression by inducing tolerance.

via newscientist.com

A gene-edited pig liver successfully supported a Chinese patient with liver failure for three days, serving as a bridge to a human transplant, according to a report in Nature Medicine. Separately, a new paper in Advanced Biology argues that xenotransplantation cannot solve the organ shortage due to high costs and safety concerns, highlighting risks like rejection and infectious disease transmission.

via Physicians for Responsible Medicine·kidneynews.org

Researchers have developed "Immune-Shield," a novel spray-on technology using mussel-derived adhesive protein to deliver immunosuppressants directly to transplanted organs. This method aims to suppress immune rejection, a major hurdle in xenotransplantation, without the systemic side effects of oral or injected immunosuppressants. The spray-on coating delivers drugs directly to the transplant site, significantly reducing immune cell infiltration and inflammatory responses in xenotransplantation experiments.

via EurekAlert!

Chinese researchers have successfully treated a liver failure patient using a gene-edited pig liver in an ex vivo perfusion system for 66 hours. The pig liver temporarily assumed detoxification, synthetic, and metabolic functions, showing significant improvement in the patient's liver function indicators. This extracorporeal life-support approach offers a potential bridging therapy for patients awaiting liver transplants.

via beckershospitalreview.com

A gene-edited pig liver has successfully supported a human patient for 171 days, establishing a new record for pig organ function in a living individual. This breakthrough extends the potential for managing patients with failing livers, offering a temporary solution while awaiting transplants or recovery.

via earth.com

A new clinical trial, approved by the FDA, will test a genetically modified pig liver used externally to filter a patient's blood. This approach aims to provide temporary life support for failing human livers, giving them time to recover or await a transplant. The trial addresses the critical shortage of donor organs.

via ynetnews.com

A patient with liver failure is in stable condition after receiving a novel therapy using a gene-edited pig liver, a procedure hailed as a global medical first. This extracorporeal perfusion technique connects the patient's circulatory system to a pig's liver outside the body, performing essential functions like detoxification and metabolism.

via chinadaily.com.cn·english.news.cn

An Alabama woman has reportedly thrived for over 61 days after receiving a pig kidney transplant, setting a new record for a living recipient of a xenotransplant. This marks a significant advancement in the field of organ transplantation.

via news4jax.com

2025

9 updates

A clinical trial involving the transplantation of gene-edited pig kidneys into living humans began with the first procedure completed in October 2025. Experts believe these organs could eventually surpass human ones in quality. The trial aims to address the critical shortage of human organs, with six patients initially involved.

via ScienceAlert·foxnews.com

Scientists have successfully reversed the rejection of a gene-edited pig kidney in a brain-dead patient, marking the longest survival of a pig organ in a human to date. Rejection episodes occurring over 61 days were reversed using existing medications, offering hope for overcoming immune response hurdles in pig organ transplants.

via nature.com

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough by identifying the specific immune reactions that lead to the rejection of pig kidney transplants in humans. This discovery provides clear targets for developing therapies to improve the success rate of xenotransplantation.

via news-medical.net

The world's first auxiliary liver xenotransplant from a genetically engineered pig to a living human recipient was reported in October 2025, with the patient surviving for 171 days. This pioneering case demonstrates that modified porcine livers can support human metabolic functions.

via easl.eu

Researchers achieved a world-first by transplanting a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient, where it remained functional for nine days without rejection or infection. Separately, a Chinese hospital reported a patient with liver failure showing stable condition after receiving a gene-edited pig liver in an extracorporeal perfusion treatment, a global medical first.

via interhospi.com·chinadaily.com.cn

Massachusetts General Hospital performed its second transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney, while NYU Langone Health initiated the first clinical trial for such transplants. Researchers at NYU Langone Health have identified and overcome immune reactions that previously caused rejection in pig-to-human kidney xenotransplants, mapping immune cell interactions and successfully reversing rejection.

via Smithsonian Magazine

2024

8 updates

The first living patient, Richard Slayman, received a gene-edited pig kidney on March 16, 2024, at Massachusetts General Hospital, with the procedure offering hope for alleviating the critical shortage of human kidneys. Slayman died two months later, with no indication his death was related to the transplant. In September 2025, eGenesis received FDA clearance for its Investigational New Drug application to begin a clinical trial for a genetically engineered pig kidney, and a clinical trial involving gene-edited pig kidneys began at NYU Langone.

via theguardian.com

Massachusetts General Hospital performed the world's first successful transplant of a genetically-edited pig kidney into a living patient on March 16, 2024. The FDA approved clinical trials for gene-edited pig kidney transplants in February 2025, offering a potential future option for thousands awaiting transplants. Experts believe these pig organs could eventually surpass human donors in quality.

via NPR·Smithsonian Magazine

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) announced the first peer-reviewed research detailing a successful transplant of gene-edited pig kidneys into a brain-dead human. This procedure involved pig kidneys with 10 key gene edits.

via uabmedicine.org

A porcine kidney from an eGenesis pig has functioned in a human recipient for a record 271 days as of December 10, 2025, offering hope for the global organ shortage. Clinical trials for transplanting genetically modified pig kidneys into humans were approved by the FDA on February 6, 2025, with experts suggesting these organs could eventually surpass human ones due to advancements in gene editing.

via NCBI·MDPI·Labiotech.eu

2022

1 update

2021

1 update

2019

1 update

1990

1 update

2021

Story began · 4 years, 6 mo ago