Long-term Survival of Monkey with CRISPR'd Pig Kidney Raises Hope for Xenotransplantation

A monkey has survived for over two years with a kidney from a gene-edited pig, demonstrating the potential of xenotransplantation to address the organ shortage crisis. Using gene editing technology like CRISPR, researchers are making precise changes to pig DNA to increase the likelihood of organ acceptance by the human body. While the two-year survivor had the best outcome, with a median survival time of about 6 months, this study shows promising progress towards long-term graft survival. Kidneys from human donors typically last 20-25 years, so further research is needed to ensure the success of xenotransplantation in humans.