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A Third Person Has Received a Transplant of a Genetically Engineered Pig Kidney

A 53-year-old woman was the third to undergo the transplant procedure. Researchers are hoping to monitor the long-term effects.

In the second attempt, this April, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano received both a kidney and thymus gland from a genetically engineered pig after getting a mechanical heart pump implanted days prior. “These distinctions highlight the ongoing evolution of xenotransplantation strategies and underscore the potential benefits of increasing compatibility through more extensive genetic modifications,” says Leonardo Riella, medical director for kidney transplantation at Mass General. While researchers hope pigs will one day provide a source of readily available organs for people who need them, they will first have to demonstrate that they are safe and can function in the human body for longer than a few months.

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