Sanjay Gupta on Xenotransplantation

From Dr. Sanjay Gupta:

When I met Tim Andrews earlier this year, he showed me something I never imagined I would see: a pig kidney functioning inside a human. He is a true medical pioneer — one of the few living people in the world to have undergone a pig organ transplant.

A team of surgeons at Mass General Brigham transplanted the genetically modified pig kidney into Tim in January but removed it last week, after a record 271 days, because of a decline in kidney function.

Tim was diagnosed with diabetes in the 1990s and was able to manage it with insulin until about three years ago, when he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease. Just a month after the diagnosis, doctors told him he needed dialysis — a procedure that he eventually had to undergo three days a week for six hours each day. His chances of finding a matching donor kidney were slim because of his rare blood type.

So when doctors approached him with the idea of an experimental pig organ transplant, he was willing. He knew there was risk involved; he would be the fourth living patient to undergo such a procedure. But it was worth it, he said, not only for him personally but for his fellow patients. “This will do something for humanity,” he told me.

There’s a lot of hope around xenotransplantation — using animal organs in humans — as a way to help alleviate the organ donor shortage. But it is still early days, and there is much to learn. What doctors and scientists have learned from Tim and the few other patients who have agreed to undergo this experimental procedure will contribute to a lasting legacy not just in medical history books but in the lives of future patients.

I’ve been investigating and reporting on xenotransplant for more than two years. The science and medical innovation required to move this field forward are remarkable, but the patients who are willing to actually go under the knife so we can all learn what works and what doesn’t are the truly extraordinary parts of this story.

Don’t miss Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s new documentary, Animal Pharm, streaming on HBO Max.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings unparalleled credibility, experience, and clarity to the stage as one of the world’s most trusted voices in health and medicine. As CNN’s chief medical correspondent and a practicing neurosurgeon, he has reported on every major health crisis of the last two decades—from the frontlines of natural disasters and war zones to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Event audiences benefit not only from his deep medical expertise, but also his unique ability to communicate complex topics with clarity, empathy, and relevance. Whether discussing brain health, crisis response, or the intersection of media and medicine, Dr. Gupta delivers insights that are timely, actionable, and deeply resonant for groups of all kinds. To host him for a speaking engagement, contact WWSG.