An Alabama woman is doing well after receiving a pig kidney transplant last month, doctors have said.
Towana Looney recently became the recipient of a gene-edited pig organ, making her the fifth American to undergo this experimental procedure. The transplant took place at New York’s NYU Langone Transplant Institute just last month.
“It’s like a new beginning,” Looney, 53, told The Associated Press.
Right away, she said, “the energy I had was amazing. To have a working kidney — and to feel it — is unbelievable.”
Looney does not suffer from the same level of illness as previous recipients who passed away within two months of receiving a pig’s kidney or heart.
The transplant freed her from eight years of dialysis. Doctors believe she will be able to return to Alabama within three months. If her kidney failed, she may go back on dialysis.
“To see hope restored to her and her family is extraordinary,” Dr. Jayme Locke, Looney’s original surgeon who secured Food and Drug Administration permission for the November 25 transplant, told the news agency.
After her surgery, she was discharged from the hospital and given 11 days to recover in a nearby apartment. However, she was temporarily readmitted this week to have her medications adjusted.
Over 100,000 individuals are currently on the transplant list in the United States, with the majority of them eagerly awaiting a kidney. Tragically, thousands of people perish while waiting for this life-saving organ, and unfortunately, many others do not meet the necessary qualifications.
Looney, who selflessly donated a kidney to her mother 25 years ago, faced a complication during pregnancy that resulted in damage to her remaining kidney. As time went on, her kidney eventually failed.
However, she was unable to find a suitable match because her body had produced antibodies that were specifically targeting another person’s kidney. Further tests confirmed that she would reject any kidney that was offered to her.
In April 2023, Locke submitted an application for an emergency experiment, seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for her transplant. Dr. Robert Montgomery, who headed the procedure, worked closely with Locke throughout the process.
Looney received a kidney with 10 gene alterations from the Virginia-based therapeutics company Revivicor.
After being released earlier this month, Looney has been under close observation. She visits the hospital every day for checkups.
“A lot of what we’re seeing, we’re seeing for the first time,” Montgomery said.
