Transplanted pig kidney works in US man's body for record 271 days
Source: BBC Health ↗
A 66‑year‑old man, Tim Andrews, received a kidney from a genetically engineered Yucatan miniature pig at Mass General Brigham on Jan. 25, 2025, and the organ functioned for a record 271 days—the longest xenotransplant to date. The pig kidney began working immediately, sparing Andrews months of dialysis and giving him “hope” while he awaited a human donor. After the xenograft failed in October, it was removed; Andrews then underwent 82 days of dialysis before receiving a conventional human kidney transplant in January, which has been functioning well.
The case highlights the dire shortage of donor kidneys, with roughly 100,000 Americans waiting for an organ each year despite only about 25,000 transplants performed annually. Researchers created the donor pig by making 69 genomic edits that remove pig proteins that trigger human immune rejection, add human genes that act as camouflage, and deactivate embedded pig viruses. These modifications aim to prevent the rapid immune assault that would otherwise turn a transplanted pig organ black within minutes. Andrews, whose end‑stage kidney disease stemmed from type 2 diabetes, was told he could face up to seven years on the transplant list, a timeline incompatible with the average five‑year survival on dialysis, making the pig kidney a potential “bridge” to a human transplant.
While the xenograft initially succeeded, early signs of immune‑mediated rejection required medication adjustments, and after about six months the kidney’s blood vessels showed damage and inflammation, leading to organ failure despite no detectable antibodies. Dr. Leonardo Riella of the Center for Transplantation Sciences called the organ shortage a crisis and emphasized xenotransplantation as a possible alternative for patients lacking living donors. The authors of the Lancet report concluded that Andrews’ experience demonstrates both the promise of pig‑to‑human kidney transplants and the remaining scientific challenges, underscoring the need for further research before the approach can become a routine bridge therapy.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Distant markets sometimes move on rumour before the facts even settle.
- ▶Cross-border money flows can subtly change direction after events like this.
🏙️Local Economylow impact
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💷Wealthlow impact
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🏠Housinglow impact
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🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.