Breakthrough or setback? Pig kidney transplant removed after 130 days

Doctors have removed a pig kidney from an Alabama woman after her body began to reject the organ.

The woman, Towana Looney, lived with the pig kidney for a record 130 days before the surgery.

NYU Langone Health doctors in New York performed the removal surgery on April 4, 2025.

Looney has returned home to Gadsden, Alabama, after the successful operation and is now back on dialysis.

She thanked her medical team for the opportunity to participate in the groundbreaking transplant experiment.

Looney described her experience as a valuable contribution to kidney disease research and future transplant developments.

She said her 130 days with the pig kidney will inspire and help others battling kidney disease.

Doctors said Looney’s body showed signs of rejection, prompting them to remove the pig’s kidney immediately.

The procedure marked a historic moment in the ongoing efforts toward animal-to-human organ transplants.

Scientists have been genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more compatible with human bodies.

They aim to solve the global shortage of human organs needed for transplants.

Over 100,000 Americans are currently on the transplant waiting list, many in urgent need of kidneys.

Thousands of patients die every year while waiting for organ donors in the United States.

Looney’s case was the first known instance of a pig kidney functioning that long in a living human.

Doctors said the experiment provided critical data despite the eventual rejection of the organ.

They described the case as a learning experience that will benefit future transplant trials.

Medical experts are hopeful that gene-edited pig organs could one day save countless human lives.

They continue to study why the rejection occurred after such a long period of success.

The transplant was part of a wider effort to use xenotransplants in solving organ shortages.

Looney’s participation brought global attention to the progress and challenges in animal-human organ research.

Researchers said more trials and studies are necessary to improve pig-to-human organ compatibility.

The NYU medical team praised Looney’s courage and commitment to scientific advancement.

Looney expressed pride in helping science despite the disappointing outcome of the transplant.

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