NYU Langone Health Performs World's First HIV-to-HIV Lung Transplant
Surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the world's first lung transplant from a donor with HIV to a recipient with HIV, the institution announced on June 19, 2026. The procedure opens a new pool of potential organ donors for patients living with HIV who were previously ineligible.
The transplant was conducted under a research protocol sanctioned by the FDA and enabled by the 2013 HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. According to NYU Langone, it is one of only a few U.S. centers approved to perform HOPE lung transplants.
The recipient was Bertrand Nelson, 56, who has lived with HIV for nearly 26 years. His need for a transplant stemmed from sarcoidosis that was reactivated by a severe case of Legionnaires' disease in 2021, causing progressive damage to his lungs and liver.
On March 21, 2026, a team led by Stephanie H. Chang, MD, performed the lung transplant. On the same day, Nelson also received a new liver from the same donor in a procedure led by Karim J. Halazun, MD. Nelson is reportedly now off supplemental oxygen for the first time in four years.