Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: BS
Context: Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have successfully transplanted a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man, and the kidney has functioned normally for over a month.
- This achievement represents the longest duration a pig kidney has survived and worked inside a human recipient, even though the patient was deceased.
- In contrast to past challenges where human immune systems rejected animal organs, genetically modified pigs are now being used to address this issue.
In 2022, surgeons at the University of Maryland transplanted a gene-edited pig heart into a terminally ill man, which lasted for two months before failing.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering permitting controlled studies of pig heart and kidney transplants in volunteers, rather than relying solely on high-risk attempts.
