WASHINGTON (AP) — A New Hampshire man is resuming dialysis after living with a gene-edited pig kidney for a record 271 days, doctors said Monday. His experience is helping researchers in their quest for animal-to-human transplants.

Tim Andrews, 67, had the organ removed on Oct. 23 because its function was declining, according to Mass General Brigham. In a statement, his transplant team called Andrews “a selfless medical pioneer and an inspiration” to patients with kidney failure.

Andrews’ experience illustrates lessons researchers have learned with each experiment involving what's called xenotransplantation. The first attempts using pig organs gene-edited to be more humanlike – two hearts and two kidneys – were short-lived.

Then researchers began considering patients not nearly as sick

See Full Page