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An Alabama woman, Towana Looney, is celebrating a significant milestone, having lived with a transplanted pig kidney for over two months. She is currently the longest-living recipient of such a transplant and reports feeling healthy and energetic.
Looney’s recovery is a hopeful sign for the future of animal-to-human transplantation. She is the fifth American to receive a genetically modified pig organ.
Her doctor, Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, describes her kidney function as “absolutely normal.”
The use of pig organs is being explored due to the critical shortage of human organs available for transplant. Thousands of Americans die each year waiting for a transplant. Looney’s case, like others before it, is considered “compassionate use,” allowed only in special circumstances by the Food and Drug Administration.
Hospitals conducting these experimental transplants are sharing data to prepare for formal xenotransplantation studies, expected to begin later this year. Dr. Tatsuo Kawai of Massachusetts General Hospital emphasizes the importance of learning from each case, particularly Looney’s, as she was in better health than previous recipients.
Looney’s journey to this groundbreaking transplant began when she donated a kidney to her mother. Later, complications led to her own kidney failure. After eight years on dialysis, she was deemed unlikely to receive a human kidney transplant due to high antibody levels.
Looney’s transplant team carefully monitored her recovery. About three weeks post-surgery, they detected early signs of rejection, knowledge gained from a previous experiment. They successfully treated the rejection, and Looney has shown no further signs.
Looney has become an advocate for xenotransplantation, sharing her experience with others considering the procedure. She emphasizes the importance of faith and listening to one’s heart.
While the long-term outcome is unknown, Looney’s case offers hope for the future of organ transplantation. Doctors will continue to monitor her progress closely.