Rob Stein

That's the idea. That's right. They clone these pigs. They all have these 10 identical genetic modifications, and they're designed to make sure their organs, these piglets that are born, don't grow too big, won't cause complications like blood clots, and won't be rejected by the human immune system.

That's the idea. That's right. They clone these pigs. They all have these 10 identical genetic modifications, and they're designed to make sure their organs, these piglets that are born, don't grow too big, won't cause complications like blood clots, and won't be rejected by the human immune system.

It did to me, too, especially when I first heard about it. But it's real. And they're trying to address a very real problem, which is that more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for transplants in the U.S. And about 17 die every day without getting one because there just aren't enough human organs available.

It did to me, too, especially when I first heard about it. But it's real. And they're trying to address a very real problem, which is that more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for transplants in the U.S. And about 17 die every day without getting one because there just aren't enough human organs available.

It did to me, too, especially when I first heard about it. But it's real. And they're trying to address a very real problem, which is that more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for transplants in the U.S. And about 17 die every day without getting one because there just aren't enough human organs available.

Yeah. And last month, I was there for the very first transplant surgery of one of the Rivivacor kidneys with these 10 genetic modifications into a living patient.

Yeah. And last month, I was there for the very first transplant surgery of one of the Rivivacor kidneys with these 10 genetic modifications into a living patient.

Yeah. And last month, I was there for the very first transplant surgery of one of the Rivivacor kidneys with these 10 genetic modifications into a living patient.

Yeah, I was inside the OR for the entire operation. And, you know, Gina, this is, I should say, very controversial in a lot of ways. I talked to bioethicists and scientists who have a lot of concerns, you know, concerns about the pigs, about the patients themselves who are desperate for anything, and even the possibility that this could cause a pandemic by spreading pig viruses to people.

Yeah, I was inside the OR for the entire operation. And, you know, Gina, this is, I should say, very controversial in a lot of ways. I talked to bioethicists and scientists who have a lot of concerns, you know, concerns about the pigs, about the patients themselves who are desperate for anything, and even the possibility that this could cause a pandemic by spreading pig viruses to people.

Yeah, I was inside the OR for the entire operation. And, you know, Gina, this is, I should say, very controversial in a lot of ways. I talked to bioethicists and scientists who have a lot of concerns, you know, concerns about the pigs, about the patients themselves who are desperate for anything, and even the possibility that this could cause a pandemic by spreading pig viruses to people.

So this operating room is in New York City. And in the room, there was this huge screen on the wall with the flight path of one set of surgeons. They're flying back from rural Virginia with two kidneys from one of the cloned geneated pigs being bred at the Rivercore Research Farm.

So this operating room is in New York City. And in the room, there was this huge screen on the wall with the flight path of one set of surgeons. They're flying back from rural Virginia with two kidneys from one of the cloned geneated pigs being bred at the Rivercore Research Farm.

So this operating room is in New York City. And in the room, there was this huge screen on the wall with the flight path of one set of surgeons. They're flying back from rural Virginia with two kidneys from one of the cloned geneated pigs being bred at the Rivercore Research Farm.

Yeah, I met her a few minutes before they brought her into the OR. She's a 53-year-old grandmother. Her name is Tawana Looney. She donated one of her kidneys to her mother in 1999. A few years later, she developed chronic high blood pressure during her pregnancy, and her remaining kidney failed in 2016. And since then, she's been on dialysis four hours a day, three days a week.

Yeah, I met her a few minutes before they brought her into the OR. She's a 53-year-old grandmother. Her name is Tawana Looney. She donated one of her kidneys to her mother in 1999. A few years later, she developed chronic high blood pressure during her pregnancy, and her remaining kidney failed in 2016. And since then, she's been on dialysis four hours a day, three days a week.

Yeah, I met her a few minutes before they brought her into the OR. She's a 53-year-old grandmother. Her name is Tawana Looney. She donated one of her kidneys to her mother in 1999. A few years later, she developed chronic high blood pressure during her pregnancy, and her remaining kidney failed in 2016. And since then, she's been on dialysis four hours a day, three days a week.

Oh, absolutely. It's very experimental. There have been other patients who've received other kinds of genetic pig kidneys and even hearts, and those organs seem to work well.

Oh, absolutely. It's very experimental. There have been other patients who've received other kinds of genetic pig kidneys and even hearts, and those organs seem to work well.

Oh, absolutely. It's very experimental. There have been other patients who've received other kinds of genetic pig kidneys and even hearts, and those organs seem to work well.