China successfully transplants pig kidneys into humans, bringing hope to millions of patients

A team of Chinese medical scientists has successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a woman with end-stage renal disease, marking an important clinical milestone in cross-species organ transplantation.

Successful pig kidney transplant to human in China brings hope to many patients - Illustration photo: DEPOSIT PHOTOS

According to Xinhua News Agency on March 17, medical scientists at Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Medical University performed a gene-edited pig kidney transplant on a 69-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease on March 6.

When blood flow began, the kidney was pink and functional. The patient was stable on the sixth day after surgery, with good kidney function and a peak urine output of 5,468 ml in 24 hours. Serum creatinine levels returned to normal on the third day, indicating initial success of the surgery , according to the research team.

This patient was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure 8 years ago. Due to the lack of a suitable kidney donor, she was forced to undergo dialysis 3 times a week. Complications during dialysis appeared when the disease progressed severely.

According to the research team, patients will still face challenges such as transplant rejection, blood clotting disorders and infections in the coming days.

Previously, there were at least four reported pig kidney transplants to humans, all performed in the United States.

The patient who underwent the transplant last November is now the longest-living recipient of a pig organ. A fourth patient, who received a kidney in January, has survived for more than a month.

Last year, Chinese scientists successfully transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys into macaque monkeys, and the organ function was maintained for more than six months .

The research team at Xijing Hospital also performed the first gene-modified pig liver transplant on a brain-dead patient in April 2024. A month later, a medical team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University also performed a gene-modified pig liver transplant on a patient with advanced liver cancer.

“Allogeneic organ transplantation may be the key to solving the organ shortage problem and bringing new hope to many patients,” said Dou Kefeng, head of the research team at Xijing Hospital.

Currently, China has about 130 million patients with chronic kidney disease, with millions of end-stage cases increasing each year.

Read more Back to Topics

THANH HIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-ghep-thanh-cong-than-heo-cho-nguoi-mang-lai-hy-vong-cho-hang-trieu-benh-nhan-20250318082809263.htm