Alabama woman Towana Looney recently made headlines for receiving a pig kidney transplant which she lived with for a record-breaking 130 days. Unfortunately, Looney’s body began rejecting the new kidney, causing her to return to dialysis. Despite the outcome, Looney expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to be part of such groundbreaking research at NYU Langone Health.
The experimental pig kidney transplant was a part of ongoing research to find a solution for individuals suffering from kidney disease. Although the outcome was not as hoped for, Looney believes that her experience can inspire others on their kidney disease journey. Dr. Robert Montgomery, Looney’s surgeon, mentioned that the rejection is currently being investigated, and it was decided that removing the pig kidney was less risky.
The field of xenotransplantation, the transplantation of animal organs into humans, holds promise for addressing the organ shortage problem. However, as seen with Lisa Pisano, the second person to receive a kidney from a gene-edited pig, sometimes these transplants can also fail, resulting in the need to resume dialysis. The hope is that by utilizing genetically modified pig organs that are more similar to human organs, the rejection risk can be minimized.
With more than 100,000 people on the U.S. transplant waiting list, it is clear that new solutions for organ transplantation are desperately needed. Despite the setbacks of Looney and Pisano’s experiences, research in xenotransplantation continues to offer hope for those awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
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