Archive · 27 Dec 2025
Pig Organ Transplants May Outperform Human Donors
Doctors are testing pig kidneys in people because there aren't enough human kidneys for everyone who needs one.
They've changed the pig kidneys in 10 ways to make them safer for humans.
The first test has already happened, and if it works well, more people might get these pig kidneys.
In the UK, many people have died waiting for a human kidney, so this could be a big help.
The doctor in charge thinks pig kidneys might one day be even better than human ones.
Pig organ transplants could eventually outperform human donor organs, according to Dr. Robert Montgomery.
A clinical trial involving gene-edited pig kidneys has begun, with six patients initially receiving the transplants.
The trial aims to address the global shortage of human organs, with potential expansion to 50 patients if approved.
Participants include patients who are ineligible for human kidney transplants or unlikely to receive one in time.
Recent advances in gene editing have renewed hope for xenotransplantation, with future modifications potentially making pig organs more compatible than human ones.
- Who
- Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, and patients ineligible for human kidney transplants
- What
- A clinical trial involving gene-edited pig kidney transplants in humans
- When
- The first transplant has already been performed, with another expected soon
- Where
- United States
- Why
- To address the global shortage of human organs and potentially improve transplant outcomes
- Trial Location
- United States
- Trial Participants
- Patients ineligible for human kidney transplants or unlikely to receive one in time
- Gene Modifications
- 10 genetic modifications to reduce rejection risk
- Trial Expansion
- Potential expansion to 50 patients if approved by FDA
- UK Waiting List Impact
- Over 12,000 people died or were removed from the list in the past decade
- First Gene-Edited Pig-to-Human Transplant
- 2021, led by Dr. Robert Montgomery