Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Pig Kidney Bridges Gap for Transplant Patient

A genetically modified pig kidney successfully sustained a patient for nine months, acting as a temporary bridge while he awaited a human organ transplant.

A 68-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease received a genetically modified pig kidney in January 2025. The organ kept him alive and off dialysis for a record 271 days.

The patient, Tim Andrews, volunteered for the experimental procedure. He reported feeling significantly better after the transplant.

About six months later, an MRSA infection led to reduced immunosuppression and damage to the pig kidney's blood vessels, causing organ failure.

Despite its eventual failure, doctors consider the transplant a success for its duration. Andrews later received a human kidney transplant in January 2026.

This case follows an earlier pig kidney transplant in March 2024, where the patient died 52 days later from unrelated cardiac issues.

Researchers see pig organs as a potential solution to the critical shortage of human kidneys, with over 95,000 people on the waiting list in the U.S.

Pig kidneys may serve as a bridge therapy, with experts suggesting they could become a viable alternative to human kidneys in 10-15 years.

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