Xenotransplantation has the potential to provide an alternative supply of lifesaving organs to people with disease, and the NYU Langone Transplant Institute has developed a new paradigm to advance the research: whole-body donation after brain death.

Now, after several successful 72-hour studies with gracious donors, Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, and the Transplant Institute team are investigating ways to extend the study period to learn more about the longevity of genetically modified pig organs.

Pig-to-baboon organ transplants have indicated a risky period, at 14 to 30 days after transplant, Dr. Montgomery tells The Wall Street Journal. Studying pig organ transplants in people after brain death during the 14-to-30-day window could provide crucial information about the human immune system and offer a better model than using baboons in additional studies, Dr. Montgomery says.

Read more from The Wall Street Journal.