An American fifties having received a pork kidney alive is, for the time being, the only person in the world to have survived two months after this xenotransplantation.
- On November 25, 2024, Towana Looney, a 53 -year -old woman, benefited from a rein transplant of a genetically modified pork because she developed renal failure.
- About three weeks after surgery, the American presented subtle signs of a start of rejection.
- However, this January 25, 2025, she is the only patient in the world to always be healthy 61 days after xenotransplantation.
This is a first. In the United States, Towana Looney, a woman from Alabama, recently took an important step by becoming the longest recipient living in a pork organ transplant. It all started on November 25, 2024, according to Nyu Langone Hospital in New York. That day, the establishment’s medical team, doctors Montgomery and Locke transplanted the kidney of a genetically modified pork, for a question of compatibility and reduce the probability of rejection, in its lower abdomen after an intervention Seven o’clock surgical.
Kidney failure: the American is one of “less than 1 % of living donors” who have suffered
The 53 -year -old patient had to benefit from this xenotransplantation, which consists in transplanting an organ from a donor whose biological species is different from that of the recipient, because she developed renal failure several years after having donated A kidney to his mother. This decrease in the functioning of the remaining organ occurred following a complication during pregnancy, which caused by high blood pressure. “Less than 1 % of living donors develop renal failure, but those who need a transplant have priority on the waiting list. It has remained on it for almost eight years, while slowly losing the vessels Bloody accessible to endure dialysis. pork kidney comprising ten genetic modifications “, Can we read on the site from Nyu Langone Hospital in New York.
REIN PROCIN registry: “I am a superwoman”
After 11 days of post-surgical observation, the American was able to leave the establishment on December 6. About three weeks after surgery, doctors have detected subtle signs of the start of rejection. Towana Looney had to be treated. But this January 25, 2025, that is to say 61 days after the pork kidney transplant, it is in good health, more specifically it does not present signs of rejection and no particular complications. This is a feat, because as a reminder, so far no patient had survived more than two months after such an operation. “I am a superwoman”, said the fifties At the Associated Press, by confiding having passed family members during long walks in New York.
“We will have to continue to watch her closely”
“If you saw her in the street, you would have no idea that she is the only person in the world to walk with a pork organ that works”said Robert Montgomery, doctor in charge of his xenotransplantation, who qualified the renal function of the patient as“Absolutely normal”. For the time being, there is no way to predict how long this new kidney will work. This is why the American is temporarily living in New York for post-transplantation controls. Health professionals hope that she will be able to return to Alabama in about a month. “We are completely optimistic and think that this will continue to work and work well for a significant period of time. However, we will have to continue to watch it closely”said the doctor.
