Woman becomes world's longest-living recipient of pig organ transplant: 'I feel like superwoman'

A US pistillate has go the world's longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant, aft surviving healthily with her caller kidney for 61 days.

Towana Looney, 53, received the experimental organ successful November aft spending astir 8 years connected the organ transplant database with small anticipation of uncovering a match.

She donated a kidney to her parent successful 1999 but developed kidney nonaccomplishment respective years aboriginal aft a complication during pregnancy.

But now, she said she feels similar "superwoman" aft the palmy transplant, laughing astir outpacing household members connected agelong walks astir New York City.

"It's a caller instrumentality connected life," she told the Associated Press quality agency.

She near the infirmary conscionable 11 days aft her cognition and is staying successful New York for different period to beryllium observed by doctors earlier heading location to Alabama.

Only 4 different Americans person received transplants of gene-edited pig organs and nary lived for much than 2 months.

"If you saw her connected the street, you would person nary thought that she's the lone idiosyncratic successful the satellite walking astir with a pig organ wrong them that's functioning," said Dr Robert Montgomery from NYU Langone Health, who led Ms Looney's transplant.

Dr Montgomery called Ms Looney's kidney relation "absolutely normal".

Ms Looney's occurrence means her aesculapian squad are present successful unchartered territory.

"The information is we don't truly cognize what the adjacent hurdles are due to the fact that this is the archetypal clip we've gotten this far," Dr Montgomery said.

"We'll person to proceed to truly support a adjacent oculus connected her."

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Genetically altered pig organs could assistance lick a terrible shortage of organs disposable for transplant.

There are astir 7,500 radical connected the UK Transplant Waiting List, according to the NHS.

Last twelvemonth much than 415 radical died portion waiting for a transplant.

In the US, much than 100,000 radical are waiting for a transplant, astir who request a kidney.

"It's a blessing," said Looney. "I consciousness similar I've been fixed different accidental astatine life. I cannot hold to beryllium capable to question again and walk much prime clip with my household and grandchildren."

There person been nary UK transplants similar Ms Looney's, but successful the US a fistful of hospitals are sharing accusation astir what worked and what did not.

That's successful mentation for the world's archetypal ceremonial studies of xenotransplantation, which is expected to statesman immoderate clip this year.

"Towana represents the culmination of advancement we person made successful xenotransplantation since we performed the archetypal country successful 2021," said Dr Montgomery.

"She serves arsenic a beacon of anticipation to those struggling with kidney failure."