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🇬🇷 Greece /Health & Science

Groundbreaking transplant lets man live nine months without dialysis using pig kidney

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A 66-year-old man with end-stage kidney failure lived 271 days without dialysis after receiving a genetically modified pig kidney in the United States.
  • Doctors removed the pig kidney after blood-vessel damage led to kidney failure, and the patient later received a kidney from a deceased human donor.
  • Researchers called it the longest recorded period without dialysis after a pig-to-human kidney transplant and said no pig-derived viruses or other pathogens were detected.

A genetically modified pig kidney kept a 66-year-old man off dialysis for 271 days, giving him time to wait for a human organ transplant.

Tim Andrews of New Hampshire had end-stage kidney failure caused by type 2 diabetes when he received the experimental transplant in the United States in January 2025. The kidney came from a small Yucatan pig and had been genetically modified to reduce the risk of rejection by the human immune system.

The organ worked immediately and served as a temporary bridge. About six months later, however, damage developed in its blood vessels and progressed to kidney failure. Doctors removed the transplant, and Andrews underwent dialysis briefly before receiving a kidney from a deceased human donor.

Doctors described the 271-day period as a world first and the longest recorded time a living person had survived without dialysis after receiving a pig kidney. It was also the first reported successful transition from a pig kidney transplant to a human kidney transplant.

Andrews called the transplant “a miracle” in a CNN documentary. He said his daily life changed because he could cook, do household chores and take long walks with his dog, Cupcake. Researchers said they found no viruses or other pathogens originating from the pig at any stage, an important safety finding for the approach.

The research team from Mass General Brigham hospitals and academic centers published its findings in The Lancet. Lead author Dr. Leonardo Riella said the shortage of human organs remains one of transplantation’s biggest challenges. The researchers hope xenotransplantation can first act as a bridge for patients waiting a long time for human organs. If the method proves safe and effective, pig organs could eventually become an independent treatment option. The case follows another experimental transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2024, when a patient lived for 52 days after receiving a pig kidney before dying from unrelated heart problems.

It was a miracle.

· Tim AndrewsHe described the pig-kidney transplant in a CNN documentary.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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