Kidney
Xeno thoughts
December 26, 2025
in Kidney
Hi,
with all the press around the miracles of Xeno transplantation - I wanted to step back and think about how I felt two and a half years ago… when I was on dialysis and my sister (my donor) was sick, and the Transplant seemed far away… would I have attempted xeno?? Listen to @Jeanmarie podcast w Tim Andrews to learn more!
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this pod with @Jeanmarie and @tim andrews is amazing. Thanks so much for doing this. I am very hopeful for the science to get better with this. This potential is so phenomenal. please listen. I have some interest in exploring more about xeno, hoping to see some more progress, this is exciting
For those who missed the recent news, Tim received a human kidney in mid-January: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/16/health/pig-kidney-human-organ-transplant
This life-changing event occurred shortly after @Jeanmarie's xenotransplant-centric podcast conversation with him: https://www.transplantlyfe.com/resources/xenotransplantation
Tim's 271 days with a pig kidney will certainly help advance research in this area and it leaves me feeling optimistic about this potential treatment for those with renal failure.
Thanks so much for sharing these, @onlylivingboyinny ! I was SO excited for Tim when I heard the news, but I haven't had the opportunity to read the article. Honestly, I had no idea that it is possible to get an allograft after receiving a xenotransplant.
@Dom You raise such an important point regarding possibilities post-xenotransplant. As this entire field of research is still evolving, I also hadn't given much consideration to how successful a human graft would be afterwards! The lack of antibodies from the pig kidney almost makes it like that graft never existed in your body, which is ideal. I don't think we've had anyone received a pig organ following the failure of a first pig organ, but that in theory would work well too! @Karin I think it's safe to say many folks aren't thinking about all of the potential scenarios and Tim's pig --> human kidney outcome is really quite remarkable and seemingly isn't getting the flowers it deserves.
As someone who seriously considered xeno and still is not completing ruling it out, it is great to see that even after the pig kidney failure he was able to get. a human kidney relatively quickly. science is so amazing. I am so excited to hear how Tim does fare with the human kidney he has received.
@Berriosa1234 Considering Tim is in his late 60's, this is super encouraging for sure!
Transplant Patient
Indeed, @onlylivingboyinny my good friend, Tim Andrews did receive a kidney last month. In fact, he received his Gift of Life from an amazing deceased donor hero, almost a year to the date when he was transplanted with the pig kidney, which he had named "Wilma". 😊 Incidentally, Tim has named his new kidney, "Spartacus"!
I too like everyone else am very happy that Tim has been blessed with another kidney, however, I do wish that it was sooner. Tim had to go back on dialysis for over 3 months while he waited for his Gift. A 3-month wait isn't that long at all, based on the average time folks end up spending on dialysis. However, because of this unprecedented situation and due to the sacrifice made by a pioneer like Tim, in my opinion, I believe that more should've been done by all parties who were fully vested in the success of Xenotransplantation to ensure that Tim received a replacement for the pig kidney at the very earliest. For example, there should've been detailed contingency planning that involved developing an active living donor campaign, in the event one may be needed. Even after "Wilma" was removed from Tim, it was mostly upto him to socialize his story/plea to find a suitable living donor. To be perfectly candid, even the mainstream media could've chipped in and done a better job to help find a kidney for Tim. As the Xenotransplantation trials continue, my hope and prayer is that there will be consideration to ensure that these participants/patients are well taken care of, with respect to all their needs. After all, Xenotransplantation has been projected to be a game-changer that will impact and (eventually) benefit millions around the globe!
“This will do something for humanity,” he told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the documentary “Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Animal Pharm.” (I believe this documentary is
available to watch on HBO Max (subscription required).
Best wishes to Tim the Hero, as he heals and navigates his third chance at life along with his gift.💙♻️💚
I too urge everyone to listen to the Pod with @Jeanmarie : https://www.transplantlyfe.com/resources/xenotransplantation
@Karin , in response to your question in this thread; if I were waiting for a life-saving kidney on the humongous national wait-list, and if Xenotransplantation was a possibility via a trial, I would seriously consider it. That said, I would want better 'protection' (for lack of a better word) for me as a participant in the trial.
@Sdey0522 yeah that was part of my hesitancy with moving forward with the trial, with it being still quite new, and the struggle of having to move my family to another city while i go through it would be tough and expensive, and at this time the "juice worth the squeeze" for me not yet, but I do feel it could be beneficial for someone who is closer... that is one thing i feel is a key barrier is that alot of these potential trials are in centers of excellence centers they should try to move it to some rural centers to help bring it to those harder patients. just a thought.