Startup Clones Three Piglets Gene-Hacked to Have Organs Transplanted Into Humans

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Japanese Startup Clones Gene-Edited Piglets for Human Organ Transplants

Japanese startup PorMedTec has cloned three piglets specifically engineered so their organs can be transplanted into humans without triggering immune rejection. The company imported gene-edited cells from the US biotech firm eGenesis and used them to create genetically modified embryos, which were then implanted into a surrogate pig, according to the Japan Times.

“The realization of xenotransplantation has been long awaited in Japan for several years, but it remained in the basic research stage because pigs that could withstand clinical application were still under development,” the company said in a statement.

Addressing Japan’s Severe Organ Shortage

The concept of using donor animals to ease the global shortage of transplantable organs has been discussed for years. Japan faces the same crisis as the United States: the Japan Organ Transplant Network reports that roughly 16,000 people are currently on the waiting list, yet only about 400 patients receive organs each year.

Despite progress in genetic engineering, scientists continue to work on ensuring the human body can accept organs from nonhuman sources over the long term.

Recent Milestones in Xenotransplantation

In 2026, University of Pennsylvania researchers connected a genetically modified pig liver—also developed by eGenesis—to a brain-dead patient. The organ successfully filtered the patient’s blood for 72 hours.

Earlier in 2026, a Maryland man with terminal heart disease received the world’s second genetically modified pig heart transplant and survived nearly six weeks after surgery.

PorMedTec’s achievement marks another step toward making such procedures clinically viable.

“Production of our first donors outside the United States is a critical milestone for eGenesis,” said eGenesis CEO Mike Curtis. “This demonstrates the potential of broadening our reach and the promise of our platform to additional geographies and patient populations in need.”

Next Steps Toward Clinical Trials

A separate research team at Jikei University School of Medicine plans to seek approval for a clinical study that would transplant a pig kidney into a human fetus diagnosed with kidney disease.

PorMedTec recently published a preclinical study in Nature describing how it knocked out specific pig genes involved in immune rejection pathways.

“The successful cloning in Japan of a genetically engineered pig with such a track record will help accelerate efforts to realize clinical applications in the nation,” the company stated.

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