2 hrs ago
Man Uses Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Before Human Transplant
Tim Andrews had very serious kidney disease and needed dialysis.
Doctors gave him a kidney from a specially changed pig.
The pig kidney worked right away.
It let him live for 271 days without dialysis.
After about nine months, the kidney became less effective because of inflammation and blood-vessel changes.
Doctors removed it and Andrews briefly returned to dialysis.
Tests showed that the pig kidney had not caused dangerous immune reactions or spread animal viruses.
He then received a human kidney, which is working normally.
This may help patients who are waiting for human organs in the future.
Tim Andrews, 66, lived 271 days without dialysis using a gene-edited pig kidney.
The kidney came from a Yucatan miniature pig engineered with 69 genetic edits.
The organ worked immediately and allowed Andrews to resume daily activities for nine months.
Surgeons removed the pig kidney after inflammation and microvascular changes reduced its function.
After a short return to dialysis, Andrews received a deceased-donor human kidney that continues functioning normally.
- Who
- Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man from New Hampshire, received the pig kidney and later a human kidney.
- What
- A gene-edited pig kidney temporarily supported Andrews without dialysis before he received a human transplant.
- Where
- The surgery and subsequent care were conducted at Mass General Brigham in the United States.
- When
- The pig kidney functioned for 271 days; the report was last updated on September 4, 2026.
- Why
- The temporary organ was used as a bridge while Andrews awaited a compatible human donor kidney.
Key facts
- Patient
- Tim Andrews, 66, from New Hampshire, United States
- Pig kidney duration
- 271 days without dialysis
- Source animal
- A Yucatan miniature pig
- Genetic edits
- 69 specific edits intended to reduce viral transmission and human immune rejection
- Human transplant
- A deceased-donor human kidney was implanted after a brief period of dialysis
- Safety findings
- Monitoring found no porcine endogenous retrovirus or other pathogen transmission
- Publication
- The Lancet
Quotes
Tim Andrews
A 66-year-old New Hampshire man who received the gene-edited pig kidney.
“I was alive, and I hadn’t been in a long time”
news18.com
Sources
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