Pigs

Transplanting pig organs into people may soon become routine.

The Future of Transplanting Pig Organs in People

After years of research into xenotransplantation, the field is at a turning point—yet risks and ethical issues remain

Doctors at NYU Langone Health recently performed a transplant surgery using a gene-edited pig kidney. The patient, Towana Looney, is now more than two months out from surgery and recovering well,

FDA Approves Transplant Trials for Gene-Edited Pig Kidneys

Two biotechnology companies will begin testing the procedures in patients suffering from kidney failure

Towana Looney's surgery at NYU Langone Health lasted seven hours and involved dozens of medical professionals.

An Alabama Woman Got a Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant. Three Weeks Later, She Has 'Never Felt Better'

On November 25, 53-year-old Towana Looney became just the third living person to receive a pig kidney in an experimental procedure

Reserachers believe Viking children once played with this animal figurine.

Archaeologists in Iceland Can't Agree Which Animal This Mysterious Viking-Era Toy Depicts

The tenth-century stone figurine, alternatively identified as a pig, a bear or a dog, sheds light on the lives of long-ago Norse children

Doctors perform a pig kidney transplant on April 12. So far, the patient is recovering well, but doctors will need to continue to monitor her in the hospital and make sure her immune system doesn't reject the transplanted organ.

Second Patient Receives Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

The woman, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano, also received a mechanical heart pump implant days earlier, making her the first person to undergo both procedures

Surgeons perform the pig kidney transplant. The surgery took place last week, and the patient is recovering well and is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.

Doctors Take Another Step Toward Animal-to-Human Organ Transplants With the First Pig Kidney Transplant

The experimental procedure was done on a man experiencing end-stage kidney failure last week who had been on the transplant waiting list for two years

Gene editing has produced a healthy "founder population" of pigs that are immune to a deadly virus called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, according to a new study.

Gene-Edited Pork Could Be Coming Soon to Your Dinner Plate

Scientists are using CRISPR technology to make pigs immune to a deadly virus—and they're hoping for FDA approval by early next year

In the new study, long-tailed macaques, or crab-eating macaques, received kidney tranplants from genetically edited pigs. One of the monkeys survived for just over two years after the transplant.

Monkeys With Transplanted Pig Kidneys Survive for Up to Two Years

The study brings scientists one step closer to conducting trials in human patients, researchers say

Scientists inserted human stem cells in pig embryos that couldn't develop kidneys, then let these embryos gestate in sows for several weeks. The experiments resulted in kidneys partly made of human-derived cells.

Scientists Grow Part-Human Kidneys in Pig Embryos for Nearly a Month

The new work is a "big step forward" in finding new ways to generate viable organs for human transplants, but it comes with some ethical considerations

By 2030, demand for fuel made from animal byproducts is expected to triple, per a new report.

Using Pig Fat as Airplane Fuel Could Hurt the Environment, Study Says

Though it's generally seen as sustainable, using animal fat to power planes could force other industries to rely on more harmful palm oil

Wild pigs have been in the southern United States for hundreds of years.

Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S.

The animals root through crops, prey on native species, cause soil erosion and carry pathogens that can spread to humans

In a small clinical trial involving 20 patients, bioengineered corneas helped improve or restore eyesight.

Cornea Implants Made From Pig Skin Restored Eyesight in a Small Clinical Trial

Fourteen patients who were blind could see again after the surgery, and three of them attained perfect vision

A pig steps into the sun in England. Cellular activity was returned to the organs of a dead pig after a recent experiment.

Scientists Bring Cells in Dead Pigs Back to Life

Scientists say the accomplishment may be the first step in making more organs available for transplant

Surgeon Bartley Griffith examines the pig heart before the transplant.

Why Did the First Human Patient to Receive a Pig Heart Transplant Die?

Scientists have come up with at least four explanations

Researchers found that crocodiles in the Northern Territory are eating more terrestrial food, including feral pigs, than in the past. 

Feral Pigs May Have Helped Boost Crocodile Numbers in the Northern Territory, Australia

Crocodiles have recovered from near extinction in the last few decades, with numbers increasing from only a few thousand to over 100,000

Wild boars are causing major issues in Italy.

Wild Boars Are Ransacking Rome

The Italian government plans to cull the population after at least one animal tested positive for a contagious swine fever

David Bennett with his son and Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin from the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Porcine Virus May Have Led to the Death of First-Ever Pig Heart Transplant Patient

Doctors say this infection will likely be preventable in future pig heart transplants

David Bennett Sr. with his son

Patient Who Received a Genetically Modified Pig Heart Dies After Two Months

The procedure marks the first time that a genetically-modified, non-human cardiac organ functioned without immediate rejection by the human body

The gene-edited pig heart recipient, who was ineligible for a human heart transplant, is doing well three days after the surgery. 

In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Gene-Edited Pig

The swine-to-person cardiac transplant offers hope for thousands in need of organs

Pork producers are challenging the law in Iowa, where a third of the country’s hogs are raised, claiming it will cost “tens of millions of dollars” annually to meet the requirements.

New Animal Welfare Law Could Drive Up Pork Prices in California—and Nationwide

In 2018, Californians overwhelmingly supported Proposition 12, an initiative designed to create humane conditions for farm animals

Page 1 of 2