Pig kidney supports patient for a record 271 days before human transplant
An American patient lived without dialysis for 271 days after receiving a pig kidney, the longest reported dialysis-free survival following pig-to-human kidney transplantation in a living person.[6] Doctors subsequently replaced it with a human kidney, marking the first reported transition from a p…
An American patient lived without dialysis for 271 days after receiving a pig kidney, the longest reported dialysis-free survival following pig-to-human kidney transplantation in a living person.[6] Doctors subsequently replaced it with a human kidney, marking the first reported transition from a porcine kidney transplant to a human kidney transplant.[6]
Why it matters: The case indicates that a pig kidney can temporarily sustain renal function and potentially serve as a bridge while a patient waits for a human donor organ.[6]
Key insights: Tim Andrews was 66 when he received the pig kidney at Mass General Brigham on January 25, 2025.[6] | The findings were published in The Lancet and described sustained dialysis independence for nearly nine months.[6] | Mass General’s previous pig-to-human kidney recipient lived for 52 days before dying from cardiac causes that the hospital said were unrelated to the transplant.[6]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: The recorded dialysis-free duration of a living human pig-kidney recipient reached 271 days, followed by successful transition to a human kidney.[6] | Why now: Researchers reported the clinical course after the patient received his subsequent human transplant earlier in 2026.[6] | Watch next: Watch future clinical reports for pig-kidney safety, durability and successful use as a bridge to human transplantation.[6]
An American patient lived without dialysis for 271 days after receiving a pig kidney, the longest reported dialysis-free survival following pig-to-human kidney transplantation in a living person.[6] Doctors subsequently replaced it with a human kidney, marking the first reported transition from a porcine kidney transplant to a human kidney transplant.[6]
Why it matters: The case indicates that a pig kidney can temporarily sustain renal function and potentially serve as a bridge while a patient waits for a human donor organ.[6]
Key insights: Tim Andrews was 66 when he received the pig kidney at Mass General Brigham on January 25, 2025.[6] | The findings were published in The Lancet and described sustained dialysis independence for nearly nine months.[6] | Mass General’s previous pig-to-human kidney recipient lived for 52 days before dying from cardiac causes that the hospital said were unrelated to the transplant.[6]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: The recorded dialysis-free duration of a living human pig-kidney recipient reached 271 days, followed by successful transition to a human kidney.[6] | Why now: Researchers reported the clinical course after the patient received his subsequent human transplant earlier in 2026.[6] | Watch next: Watch future clinical reports for pig-kidney safety, durability and successful use as a bridge to human transplantation.[6]