NYU Langone wins 2026 Gizmodo Science Fair for xenotransplantation work
Researchers at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute just won the 2026 Gizmodo Science Fair for its game-changing work in xenotransplantation (basically, moving organs from animals to humans).
Its big moment came when Robert Montgomery and his team transplanted a genetically edited pig kidney into a human back in 2021, and it worked for 52 hours with no immediate signs of rejection.
That's a huge step forward for organ transplants.
EXPAND trial tests CRISPR pig-to-human kidneys
This breakthrough kicked off the EXPAND trial, which is now testing these pig-to-human kidney transplants on patients with severe kidney disease.
With more than 100,000 people in the US waiting for organ donations, NYU's team is using CRISPR to tweak pig organs so our bodies are less likely to reject them.
If this keeps working, it could mean way fewer people stuck on waitlists, and more lives saved.