Researchers developed pioneering technology for human kidney organoids to be produced on a scalable basis. They can be combined with pig kidneys outside the body and transplanted back in a viable manner. This may extend life of organs for transplant and provide alternative in chronic kidney disease.

First transplant in pigs of modified porcine kidneys with human renal organoids

**A research team has developed pioneering technology that enables human kidney organoids to be produced on a scalable basis. These organoids can then be combined with pig kidneys outside the body and transplanted back into the same animal in a viable manner**. The experiment, led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), is in the preclinical phase. It confirms the safety and viability of the procedure, paving the way for future trials involving humans. **In the long term, this approach could help to extend the useful life of organs intended for transplantation and provide an alternative therapy for patients with chronic kidney disease**.

The long-term goal is to be able to regenerate or repair an organ before transplantation. This could reduce waiting times for chronic patients and increase the number of viable organs for transplantation.

This study presents a systematic and scalable method for producing thousands of human kidney organoids using microaggregation and genetic engineering techniques, which is a first.

The research team observed that, 24 and 48 hours after transplantation, the human organoids remained integrated into the porcine renal tissue. They maintained their viability and did not trigger any significant immune response. The transplanted kidney continued to function normally and there were no signs of damage or toxicity.

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01542-1