Alabama Woman Sets Record as Longest-Living Pig Kidney Recipient

Towana Looney, a 53-year-old woman from Alabama, has made history as the world's longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant, thriving for 61 days with a gene-edited pig kidney. After nearly eight years on the transplant list and suffering from kidney failure, Looney's successful surgery was performed at NYU Langone Health, where doctors closely monitor her recovery. Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the transplant, noted that Looney's kidney function is 'absolutely normal,' an encouraging sign for the future of xenotransplantation. This milestone is significant as previous recipients of pig organs did not survive beyond two months, highlighting the potential for addressing the severe organ shortage crisis in the U.S. Looney's case, which involved a kidney modified through ten genetic alterations, offers hope to many on transplant waiting lists, as over 100,000 people currently await life-saving procedures. As scientists prepare for formal studies on animal-to-human transplants, Looney's vibrant recovery serves as a morale boost in this experimental field.