Doctors Perform World’s First Pig-to-Human Liver Transplant
Doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in China have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a 71-year-old man, marking the first-ever pig-to-human liver transplant for therapeutic purposes.
The patient, whose liver was severely scarred due to hepatitis B and liver cancer, was ineligible for a human liver transplant. He survived for 171 days following the procedure.
Researchers reported that the pig liver functioned effectively for the first month but was removed on day 38 due to complications known as xenotransplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA). Despite treatment resolving the xTMA, the patient eventually passed away.
Lead investigator Dr Beicheng Sun said, “This case proves that a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period. It is a pivotal step forward, demonstrating both the promise and the remaining hurdles, particularly regarding coagulation dysregulation and immune complications, that must be overcome.”
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Heiner Wedemeyer, co-editor of the Journal of Hepatology, said, “This report is a landmark in hepatology; it shows that a genetically modified porcine liver can engraft and deliver key hepatic functions in a human recipient.
“At the same time, it highlights the biological and ethical challenges that remain before such approaches can be translated into wider clinical use.
“Xenotransplantation may open completely new paths for patients with acute liver failure, acute-on-chronic liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. A new era of transplant hepatology has started.”
Xenotransplantation, where organs, tissues, or cells are transferred from animals to humans, has long faced obstacles due to immune rejection. Pigs are considered the most promising donors because of their organ size, similarities to humans, and advances in gene-editing technology.
Previous attempts include the first genetically modified pig heart transplant in 2022, where David Bennett, 57, died two months after the procedure, and a pig kidney transplant in 2024, when Richard Slayman, 62, died nearly two months after the operation.
This milestone represents a significant step toward expanding organ transplant options using genetically modified animals.
NAN
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