The medical world witnessed a historic xenotransplant when surgeons in the Chinese mainland successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig liver into a living human, sustaining the patient for 171 days. This landmark case, detailed in the Journal of Hepatology, represents a major leap toward bridging the gap in global organ shortages.
The procedure, performed on May 17, 2024, was led by a team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in the Chinese mainland. The donor pig liver, developed by researchers at Yunnan Agricultural University in the Chinese mainland, featured 10 genetic modifications designed to enhance compatibility:
- Knockout of 3 pig genes to prevent rapid antibody-mediated rejection
- Insertion of 7 human genes to improve immune acceptance and reduce blood clotting risks
The patient, a 71-year-old individual with an inoperable liver tumor, received the pig liver as an auxiliary organ to support their native liver. For the first 31 days, the graft functioned effectively, showing no signs of acute rejection. On day 38, however, blood clots in the organ's small vessels prompted the surgical team to remove the auxiliary liver.
Despite the later complications—recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding—the patient survived for nearly six months after the transplant, passing away on day 171. While the case did not extend to long-term survival, it established proof-of-concept that a pig organ can function in a human body for a clinically significant period.
This operation does not yet open the door to widespread clinical use of pig livers. But it does establish proof-of-concept that such grafts can function in humans.
Earlier in April, another team at Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Medical University on the Chinese mainland performed a similar procedure in a brain-dead patient, paving the way for living-donor trials. Together, these milestones suggest xenotransplantation could serve as a vital “bridge” therapy for patients awaiting human donor organs.
As biotech innovation accelerates, the success of these pioneering transplants offers new hope in closing the gap between organ supply and demand, reshaping the future of transplant medicine for global patients.
Reference(s):
World's first human with gene-edited pig liver survived for months
cgtn.com