Alabama Woman Breaks Record Living with Pig Kidney Before Removal

An Alabama woman, Towana Looney from Gadsden, recently had a genetically modified pig kidney removed after living with it for a record-breaking 130 days. The kidney transplant, which took place at NYU Langone Health on April 4, marked a significant step in experimental xenotransplantation—transplanting organs from animals to humans.

Looney, who returned home after the procedure, expressed gratitude to her medical team for the opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking research. Although the pig kidney was eventually rejected by her body, she has provided invaluable insights for medical science’s quest to overcome the persistent shortage of human donor organs.

Since 2016, Looney had been on dialysis and faced challenges with rejecting human kidneys. Her time with the pig kidney, from her transplant on November 25 until early April, allowed her a considerable break from dialysis—the longest anyone has lived with a gene-edited pig organ so far. Not one to shy from optimism, Looney has embraced the nickname “superwoman” for her resilience.

Dr. Robert Montgomery, the surgeon who performed the transplant, noted that while the outcome wasn’t ideal, safeguards were taken to remove the kidney safely rather than risking further complications. He emphasized that Looney’s condition post-removal is stable, and she has, in a way, benefited from the temporary reprieve the transplant provided.

Factors that may have contributed to the rejection included an infection earlier that weakened her immune-suppressing medications and a natural reactivation of her immune system after the transplant. These combined pressures likely damaged the pig kidney.

This case follows a similar story last year, when Lisa Pisano, the second patient to receive a gene-edited pig kidney, also had to have hers removed due to complications. Such developments underline the complexities involved in xenotransplantation.

With over 100,000 individuals on the U.S. transplant waiting list—most seeking kidneys—and thousands dying each year waiting, the push to develop genetically modified pig organs remains crucial. Biotech firms continue refining these organs to curb immune rejection and save lives, hoping to bridge the gap in transplant shortages.