In A First, Patient Receives Genetically Engineered Pig Kidney Transplant. Know Why This Is A Major Milestone

The genetically-edited kidney had 69 genomic edits. Harmful pig genes were removed, and certain human genes added to improve the kidney's compatibility with humans. 

The patient, a 62-year-old man, had end-stage kidney disease, and underwent a four-hour-long journey on March 16, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The surgery gives hope that readily available organs can be transplanted from animals to humans in the future too. 

Source : Massachusetts General Hospital

In the age of rising numbers of organ transplants from animals to humans, US surgeons have performed the world's first successful transplant of a genetically-edited pig kidney into a patient, marking a major medical milestone. The patient, a 62-year-old man, had end-stage kidney disease, and underwent a four-hour-long journey on March 16, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The surgery is a huge accomplishment because it gives hope that readily available organs can be transplanted