Woman Gets Pig Kidney

Monday, 27 January, 2025189 words3 minutes

In a remarkable medical breakthrough, Towana Looney, a 53-year-old American woman, has become the world's longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant. After receiving a genetically modified pig kidney in November, Ms. Looney has now surpassed the two-month mark, living healthily for 61 days with her new organ.

This achievement is particularly significant given that only four other Americans have received similar transplants, none of whom survived beyond two months. Ms. Looney's success story offers a glimmer of hope in the field of xenotransplantation - the process of transplanting organs between different species.

Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the transplant team at NYU Langone Health, described Ms. Looney's kidney function as "absolutely normal." This success has propelled medical teams into uncharted territory, opening up new possibilities for addressing the severe shortage of organs available for transplant.

The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching. In the United States alone, over 100,000 people are on organ transplant waiting lists, with the majority needing kidneys. If proven safe and effective in larger studies, genetically altered pig organs could potentially revolutionize the field of organ transplantation, offering new hope to countless patients worldwide.

Original News

Quiz

1. What makes Towana Looney's case unique?

She's the first person to receive a pig organ

She's lived the longest with a pig organ transplant

She received multiple pig organs

2. How does Dr. Montgomery describe Ms. Looney's kidney function?

Slightly improved

Absolutely normal

Better than expected

3. What potential impact could this breakthrough have?

Eliminate the need for human organ donors

Reduce the cost of organ transplants

Help address the shortage of organs for transplant

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