US researchers test pig-to-human transplant in donated body

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

U.S. researchers are reporting the latest in a surprising string of experiments in the quest to save human lives with organs from genetically modified pigs. This time, surgeons in Alabama transplanted a pair of pig kidneys into a brain-dead man. It was a step-by-step rehearsal for an operation they hope to try in living patients possibly later this year. Similar attempts have made headlines in recent months as research into animal-to-human transplants heats up. Earlier attempts at using animal organs have failed. With new techniques to genetically alter pig genes so their organs are more human-like, some scientists are ready to try again.