Pig Kidney Transplant Removed After Record 130 Days in Alabama Patient

Towana Looney, 53, experienced acute rejection following reduced immunosuppression, offering key insights for future xenotransplantation trials.

Towana Looney, an Alabama woman, lived with a gene-edited pig kidney for 130 days, the longest recorded duration for a xenotransplant in a living human.
The kidney was removed on April 4, 2025, after an acute rejection episode linked to a reduction in immunosuppression to treat an unrelated infection.
Looney, who had been on dialysis since 2016, experienced significant quality-of-life improvements during her dialysis-free period post-transplant.
Researchers at NYU Langone Health are analyzing the case to refine immunosuppression strategies and advance upcoming clinical trials in xenotransplantation.
The case highlights the potential of genetically modified pig organs to address the critical shortage of human kidneys, with over 90,000 U.S. patients currently on transplant waitlists.