A US woman, Towana Looney, has made history by becoming the world’s longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant, as she marked 61 days of healthy living with her new kidney. After nearly eight years of waiting for a matching organ on the transplant list, Looney finally received the experimental pig organ in November. This remarkable feat comes after her selfless act of donating a kidney to her mother in 1999, only to face kidney failure years later due to a complication during pregnancy. Despite the challenges she has faced, Looney now describes herself as “superwoman,” joyfully recounting how she effortlessly outpaces her family members on long walks through the bustling streets of New York City.
Having left the hospital a mere 11 days post-operation, Looney is currently under observation in New York for a month before returning to her home in Alabama. Dr. Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, the leader of Looney’s transplant team, marvels at her exceptional progress, noting that her kidney function is now “absolutely normal.” This groundbreaking procedure marks a significant milestone for medical science, as only four other Americans have undergone transplants involving gene-edited pig organs, with none surviving beyond two months.
Dr. Montgomery, acknowledging the uncharted territory that Looney’s success has propelled them into, emphasizes the need for vigilant monitoring of her health in the days to come. The prospect of utilizing genetically altered pig organs offers a glimmer of hope in addressing the severe shortage of transplant organs globally. In the UK alone, over 7,500 individuals await organ transplants, with more than 415 losing their lives while on the waiting list last year. The situation is similarly dire in the US, where over 100,000 people are in need of transplants, with a majority requiring kidney donations.
Looney expresses profound gratitude for the life-saving opportunity she has been given, eagerly looking forward to traveling and spending cherished moments with her family and grandchildren. While the UK has yet to undertake transplants akin to Looney’s, several US hospitals are actively collaborating to share valuable insights on the success and challenges of xenotransplantation. Anticipated studies on xenotransplantation are set to commence this year, following the trailblazing progress made by individuals like Looney.
Dr. Montgomery lauds Looney as a beacon of hope for those grappling with kidney failure, underscoring the immense strides achieved in xenotransplantation since its inception. Towana Looney’s remarkable journey serves as a testament to the resilience and spirit of those navigating the complex realm of organ transplantation, offering a ray of hope to countless individuals awaiting life-saving procedures.
