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Pig kidneys that were “frozen” for a year have been brought back to life

Jessica Hamzelou· 15 octobre 2026

Pig kidneys that were cooled to -150 °C and stored in a freezer for months have been successfully rewarmed and shown to work again for the first time, say scientists. They hope to replicate the findings with human organs. The kidneys—which are similar in size to human ones—were left in a glass-like…

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Kidneys frozen for a year

Scientists successfully preserved pig kidneys at -150°C for up to a year, then rewarmed and revived them to function again.

The kidneys, which are similar in size to human ones, regained their color and produced urine after being transplanted into pigs or tested on perfusion devices.

One kidney stored for just over a year performed as well as fresher ones, producing urine immediately upon rewarming.

The breakthrough was announced by researchers from the University of Minnesota, led by transplant surgeon Erik Finger and bioengineer John Bischof.

The findings, shared on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2026, have not yet been peer-reviewed but are considered a major milestone in organ preservation.

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