Sep 4, 2026 · 29 min
Pig kidney transplant extends hope for organ-shortage patients
The Happy Pod: Record pig kidney transplant brings hope
The episode connects a record xenotransplant, species conservation, brain mapping, and data-driven art through practical experiments that turn uncertainty into possibility.
- 1A genetically modified pig kidney functioned for nine months, suggesting xenotransplantation could bridge patients awaiting human organs.
- 2New Zealand’s kākāpō recovery shows how intensive conservation can reverse a species’ decline after decades of danger.
- 3Scientists and artists transform complex systems—from fruit-fly brains to London transport—into new ways of understanding behavior and movement.
Don't miss
Leonardo V. Riella details how a genetically modified pig kidney sustained a human patient for nine months before failing.
The brief
A genetically modified pig kidney functioned in a human for a record nine months before failing, offering a potential bridge for patients waiting for scarce human organs.
Dr Leonardo V. Riella explains what the transplant achieved and why its eventual failure still matters for xenotransplantation and the organ shortage.
New Zealand’s endangered kākāpō is recovering through intensive conservation and successful breeding, while DJ Ari Miller turns encounters with strangers into collaborative music.
The Bayeux Tapestry receives a new presentation at the British Museum, preserving its historical detail while changing how visitors experience the 11th-century object.
Researchers map male and female fruit-fly brains to study behavior, and composer Matthew Wilcock converts London Underground train movements into rhythmic music.
Leonardo V. Riella
Michael Lewis
London Underground
Bayeux
BBC World ServiceListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.