Tell you what -- in my family, at my Hebrew school, the tradition was that pigs themselves were an object of revulsion, disgusting and stupid and cursed.

I'm baffled. What "kosher-derived aversion to pigs" are you referring to? There is a prohibition on certain animals one is not supposed to eat, but no one is eating the kidneys under discussion, are they? Otherwise, it's fine to have pig pets, or whatever.

The Talmud, and Jewish tradition, is entirely in favor of science, particularly anything that will help save lives. (It's perfectly fine to eat any food at all, including pigs, of course, if a life, or even just good health, is at stake, by the way.)