Pig kidney kept man off dialysis for 9 months, serves as ‘bridge’ to human organ
This is the first time a porcine organ has served as a temporary “bridge” to human allotransplantation, offering hope to address the severe global shortage of donor organs.
Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old man from New Hampshire, became the first patient to survive for 271 days without dialysis after receiving a genetically modified pig kidney in January 2025. The organ, sourced from a Yucatan miniature pig, was engineered to better match the human immune system. Andrews' condition was end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes.
The pig kidney was not intended as a permanent solution but as a temporary bridge while he waited for a human donor organ. Despite the organ's successful initial function, its blood vessels began to deteriorate after 271 days, leading to its removal. Andrews then underwent dialysis before receiving a human kidney donated from a deceased person in January 2026.
This procedure marked the first time a pig kidney was followed by a human kidney transplant in a living patient. Andrews described the transition from dialysis dependency to a normal life as a "miracle". The case of Andrews' pig kidney transplant is seen as groundbreaking in the field of xenotransplantation, offering valuable insights into the use of animal organs for humans facing the global shortage of donor kidneys.
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