US surgeons successfully test pig kidney transplant in a human

The surgery took a couple of hours

The procedure was performed at the New York University Langone Medical Center.

The work has not yet been peer-reviewed or published, but it is planned to do so in the future. In terms of size, their organs are a good match for people.

"We use pigs for food, and we use pigs for medicinal purposes, such as valves and medication."

"We observed a kidney that basically functioned like a human kidney transplant, that appeared to be compatible in as much as it did all the things that a normal human kidney would do," lead investigator Dr Robert Montgomery told the BBC's World Tonight programme.

Other pig organs, such as hearts, lungs, and livers, could be used for human transplantation within a decade, he believes.

"I believe the community as a whole needs to respond to these questions." "Animal to human transplantation has been something that we have studied for decades now, and it's really interesting to see his group take that step forward," said Dr Maryam Khosravi, a kidney and intensive care doctor for the NHS in the UK.

 

The team behind the surgery

Photo credit:: BBC

First seen on BBC News online