The 5th person in the world to receive a pig kidney transplant

This is the latest attempt to save lives using animal organs. Looney is the fifth American to receive a transplant of genetically modified pig organs. The transplant was performed in November, but was not announced to the media until December 17 because doctors wanted to monitor the patient carefully.

Remarkably, Looney did not experience the same problems as previous patients. Most people who have undergone xenotransplant surgery have died within two months of receiving a pig kidney or heart.

Looney described it as “a new beginning” that gave her “incredible energy.” Looney’s surgery marks a major step forward as scientists prepare for formal studies of xenotransplantation, which are expected to begin next year, said Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who is leading the trial.

Looney recovered well, leaving the hospital just 11 days after surgery and is being monitored at a nearby apartment. However, she was admitted back to the hospital this week to have her medication adjusted. Doctors expect her to return home to Alabama in three months. If her pig kidneys fail, she could start dialysis again.

“It was incredible to see her and her family have hope again,” said Dr. Jayme Locke, Looney’s original surgeon, who and his team received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to perform the transplant on Nov. 25.

There are more than 100,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list in the United States, most of whom need kidneys. Thousands die while waiting, and many don’t even qualify for them. Now, to find an alternative, scientists are genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more human-like and suitable for transplant.

Looney donated a kidney to her mother in 1999. She later suffered pregnancy complications that caused high blood pressure, and her remaining kidney failed, eventually leading to kidney failure. It is rare for living donors to develop kidney failure. They are a special group on the transplant waiting list.

However, Looney could not find a suitable donor. She had abnormal antibodies that could attack the transplanted kidney. Tests showed that her body would reject any donated kidney.

After a period of desperation, Looney heard about a pig kidney transplant study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and decided to volunteer. In April 2023, Dr. Locke applied to the FDA for emergency authorization for the trial, which is reserved for people like Looney who have no other treatment options.

The FDA did not immediately agree. The world’s first transplants of genetically modified pig kidneys were performed on two more seriously ill patients last spring, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and New York University Hospital. Both also had serious heart problems.

The Boston patient recovered and returned home a month later, but died of sudden cardiac arrest unrelated to the pig kidney. The second patient suffered heart complications that caused the pig kidney to fail and had to be removed. She later died.

Those disappointing results did not discourage Looney. The dialysis sessions left her exhausted. But Looney had no heart disease or other complications, according to Dr. Locke, a bright spot compared to her previous surgeries. Eventually, the FDA cleared her for a transplant at New York University Hospital.

The transplanted kidney was modified with 10 genes by the biotechnology company Revivicor. As soon as Dr. Montgomery sewed it into place, it turned a healthy pink and began producing urine.