Pig kidney transplants fail after patient rejection: shot

The world's longest-running pig organ transplant has failed, doctors announced Friday.

According to Nyu Langone Health in New York, 53-year-old Towana Rooney of Gadsden, Alabama, rejected genetically modified organs on April 4, before removing pig kidneys on April 4. On November 25th, 2024, pig organ transplantation was carried out, a landmark to develop rare human organ replacements for transplants.

The kidneys were still working well, but it appeared to have been rejected as Rooney had to reduce preservative medication due to an infection.

“The kidneys of Towana Rooney's genetically modified pigs worked well for over four months, and for the first time in nine years I was able to enjoy life without dialysis,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery of Nyu Langone Health, who performed the surgery, in a statement.

“Towana's willingness to work on unknown people to resolve the country's organ shortage crisis will affect more lives after her,” Montgomery said. “We celebrate her incredible courage and sacrifice. She lived with pig kidneys for longer than any other human being in history. Her contributions promoted the hopes and promises of genetically organized pig organs as alternative sources of human organs.”

According to the statement, Rooney has resumed dialysis. NPR had exclusive access to witness her original surgery.

“We are extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in this incredible study,” Rooney said in a statement.

“For the first time since 2016, I enjoyed spending time with friends and family without planning dialysis treatments. The outcome is not something nobody wanted, but I know that I've learned a lot from my pig kidneys since 130 days.

The other four patients previously received kidneys from different types of genetically modified pigs or manipulated pig hearts, but none survived as much as Rooney. Another man who received a genetically modified pig kidney at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in late January returned to the hospital due to excess fluid in his body. However, his doctors are hoping he will return home this weekend, according to the hospital.

Doctors hope that genetically modified pig kidneys, heart, liver and other organs will one day alleviate a long-standing deficiency of organs. more Over 103,000 people in the US are waiting for organ transplantsaccording to the federal government, about 17 people are waiting every day.

Some researchers worry that pig organs can spread animal viruses to people and about breeding and genocide animals for organs. Some bioethicists have questioned the experiments of hopeless patients. Critics also say no one really knows how well gene-edited pig organs work until researchers conduct large-scale, careful research.

both United Therapeutics Corp. This caused the kidneys that Rooney received. Egnesiswhich developed a kidney transplanted in Boston, and is now under investigation to evaluate pig organs.

“We are saddened by the news of Towana Rooney. [kidney] United Therapeutics, which was deleted last week, celebrates the courage and enthusiasm she showed through xenotransplants,” the company said in a statement Friday.