The future of organ transplants?

Surgeons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have successfully transplanted kidneys from a genetically modified pig into the abdomen of a 57-year-old brain-dead man. According to the New York Times, the kidneys functioned well without signs of rejection. The landmark procedure occurred just weeks after University of Maryland surgeons completed a successful pig-to-human heart transplant.

Researchers believe that organs grown in genetically modified pigs could potentially save countless lives. Currently, in the U.S., more than a dozen people die each day while awaiting kidney transplants.

Image by mohamed Hassan