An Alabama woman achieved a significant milestone on Saturday by becoming the longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant. She has now been thriving with her new gene-edited pig kidney for 61 days, remaining healthy and full of energy. This breakthrough marks a key moment in the field of experimental organ transplants, as she surpasses previous records for survival with such a transplant.
Towana Looney, underwent surgery on Nov 25 and got discharged just 11 days after. After spending eight years on dialysis, doctors concluded that she would likely never receive a donated organ. She had developed unusually high levels of antibodies, which were specifically primed to attack a human kidney, severely complicating the possibility of a successful transplant.
