An American man with end-stage renal failure survived 271 days without dialysis thanks to a transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney, setting a world record according to the BBC. For this man in his sixties, who has type 2 diabetes, this transplant represented a vital alternative to a wait of up to seven years for a human kidney, while dialysis offers an average life expectancy of five years.
The pig kidney, implanted in January 2025, functioned immediately. But in the second week, the first episode of rejection occurred, which was controlled by adjusting the treatment. In October, doctors had to remove the organ, as they explained in The Lancet. The patient then resumed dialysis for 82 days before receiving a functioning human kidney in January.
This breakthrough illustrates the potential of xenotransplantation, designed to address the organ shortage: in the United States, 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant, while only 25,000 transplants are performed annually. Pigs are preferred donors due to their anatomical similarity, but their organs must be genetically modified to prevent rejection.
Dr. Leonardo Riella of Brigham General Hospital believes this approach could offer a solution for patients without a living donor and represents a real source of hope.
 Pascal Lemontel
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07/09/2026 | 
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