United States: A genetically modified pig’s kidney underwent removal from an Alabama woman following organ rejection by her body, based on reports from NYU Langone Health.
Groundbreaking Transplant Reaches Milestone
Medical experts allowed 53-year-old Towana Looney to keep the transplanted organ from the genetically modified pig for 130 days — the longest survival time observed using pig-to-human transplants. The hospital announced she resumed dialysis after doctors removed the transplanted organ, as reported by HealthDay.
Dr. Robert Montgomery stated that the kidney’s removal through an “explant” process did not signal a regression for xenotransplantation research.
“This is the longest one of these organs has lasted,” Montgomery, who leads the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, told The New York Times.
“All this takes time,” he added. “This game is going to be won by incremental improvements, singles, and doubles, not trying to swing for the fences and get a home run.”
Looney chose to travel from Alabama to New York for the surgery yet suffered from underlying medical conditions which potentially influenced her surgical result.
An Alabama woman who received a pig kidney transplant had the organ removed after her body began rejecting it.https://t.co/GxGEJB7Gu4
— WMAR-2 News (@WMAR2News) April 15, 2025
More treatments could have potentially saved the organ, according to doctors, while Looney and her team declined to extend immunosuppressive medication.
“No. 1 is safety — we needed to be sure that she was going to be OK,” Montgomery said.
“For the first time since 2016, I enjoyed time with friends and family without planning around dialysis treatments,” Looney said in a statement.
Patient Speaks Out
“Though the outcome is not what anyone wanted, I know a lot was learned from my 130 days with a pig kidney — and that this can help and inspire many others in their journey to overcome kidney disease,” she added.
Blood tests showed Looney’s creatinine levels were elevated, while the kidney should have eliminated this waste product normally.
Doctors first admitted Looney to Alabama before flying him to New York for the discovery of organ rejection symptoms. The Times reported the kidney extraction took place on a Friday.
What’s Next for Xenotransplantation?
United Therapeutics Corporation noted that the pig organ functioned appropriately before the rejection took place.
Looney received recognition from United Therapeutics Corporation for his courageous effort as the company prepares to launch a clinical trial of pig-kidney transplantation in 2019. The initial phase involves treating six patients before expanding the procedure to fifty patients.
Researchers investigate pig organs because they represent a potential solution to the shortage of human organs for donation, as reported by HealthDay.
The Bigger Picture
Among U.S. citizens, more than 550,000 individuals need kidney dialysis support to survive, and the transplant waiting list currently includes around 100,000 patients. The Times reported that kidney transplant procedures had reached only 25,000 cases in the previous year.