China transplants pig livers into cancer patients, opening a turning point in organ transplantation

Chinese doctors have transplanted a gene-edited pig liver into a living person for the first time, opening a new way to address the global shortage of donated organs.

Chinese doctors have achieved a milestone in animal-to-human organ transplant research by transplanting a gene-edited pig liver into a cancer patient - Photo: The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Chinese surgeons have successfully performed the first transplant of a gene-edited pig liver on a living patient, marking a major medical step forward in efforts to address the shortage of donated organs.

According to the Journal of Hepatology , the surgery was performed by a team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, with the donated liver developed by scientists from Yunnan Agricultural University.

The donor pig was carefully screened for pathogens and had 10 genes edited - three genes that cause rapid rejection were removed, while seven human genes were added to improve immune compatibility and prevent blood clotting.

The surgery was performed on May 17, 2024, on a 71-year-old patient with a large, inoperable liver tumor. The pig liver was transplanted in an "adjuvant" manner, meaning it worked alongside the patient's real liver.

During the first 31 days after surgery, the patient showed no signs of acute rejection and the pig liver functioned effectively. However, on the 38th day, the patient developed microvascular coagulation complications in the transplanted liver, forcing the doctors to remove the pig liver. The patient then suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding and died on the 171st day after surgery.

Although the patient did not survive, experts assessed that the transplant demonstrated the feasibility of using genetically modified pig livers to support patients for a long time, opening up the prospect of developing xenotransplantation as a "bridge" therapy before finding a suitable human organ.

The article in the Journal of Hepatology stated that although this success cannot be widely applied, it has established important clinical evidence that pig liver can function in the human body.

VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-ghep-gan-heo-cho-benh-nhan-ung-thu-mo-ra-buoc-ngoat-ghep-tang-20251022212800533.htm