Richard Slayman, 62, was the first person to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically modified pig. Slayman's transplanted kidney was producing urine, removing waste products from his blood and helping balance his body fluids, in addition to other vital functions.
The successful operation undoubtedly brings organ transplants from animals to humans, also known as xenotransplants, much closer to reality. More than 100,000 people in the United States are on the waiting list for a transplant, of which 90,000 need a kidney.