Japanese Team Plans Pig-Kidney Transplant Trial in Human Fetus with Severe Kidney Disease

A Japanese research team that includes the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo plans to conduct clinical research that would temporarily transplant pig kidneys into a human fetus diagnosed with severe kidney disease. The Japan Times reported the effort on July 21, 2026.

The team has started joint research with institutions in Thailand and Germany to test the procedure’s effectiveness and safety.

The clinical phase is scheduled to open no earlier than fiscal 2027. The procedure would constitute the first xenotransplantation performed on a human fetus. Xenotransplantation refers to the transfer of cells or organs from one species to another.

Researchers intend the transplant to serve only as a temporary bridge for fetuses whose kidneys cannot sustain development. No further details on patient selection or surgical method were released.