Surgeons Successfully Graft United’s Pig Kidney to Human

Doctors have successfully attached United Therapeutics’ genetically altered pig kidney to a human in a medical first.

Researchers at New York University attached the kidney to the blood vessels of a brain-dead patient suffering from kidney dysfunction over the course of three days.

United’s modified pigs, which were approved in December 2020 for biomedical and food use, are less likely to trigger an immune reaction in humans, as the immune system treats the transplanted organs as human.

The pigs could also be used as factories for drugs, such as the blood-thinner heparin. However, any medical products derived from the pigs, including organs, would require further FDA approvals.