ALBAWABA US surgeons have successfully transplanted a pig's kidney into a brain-dead man, and the kidney has been functioning without any issues for more than a month.
This achievement has raised optimism about the possibility of eventually performing similar operations on living patients.
This achievement stands as a pivotal stride toward a procedure that the New York-based team aspires to eventually conduct on living patients.
On a global scale, scientists are in a race to unravel the utilization of animal organs for the purpose of preserving human lives.
Maurice “Mo” Miller is the 57-year-old man on whom the transplant was performed, reports The Associated Press. After he was declared brain-dead, his sister gave permission for his body to be used in the experimental xenotransplantation.
Cadavers generously donated for research provide an exceptional opportunity for rehearsal in this pursuit.
The most recent endeavor, revealed on Wednesday by NYU Langone Health, has established a new record for the longevity of a pig kidney functioning within a human body – even if that body is no longer living.
This milestone is not yet concluded, as researchers intend to monitor the kidney's performance for an additional month.
"Remarkably, it appears to surpass the functionality of a human kidney," Dr. Montgomery remarked while substituting a deceased man's original kidneys with a solitary kidney sourced from a genetically modified pig.
The newly transplanted kidney promptly initiated urine production.
