Genetically Edited Pig Kidney Acts as Nine-Month Bridge to Human Transplant
Doctors used a genetically engineered pig kidney (Wilma) to keep a 66-year-old man alive for 271 days—nine months—without dialysis, serving as a bridge to a human kidney transplant; the pig had 69 genome edits to reduce rejection and virus risk, and no pig pathogens were detected, but the kidney eventually failed and he later received a human donor kidney; this world-first case suggests xenotransplantation could alleviate the organ shortage but requires more trials.