China successfully transplants first gene-edited pig liver into living human

Chinese surgeons have successfully performed the first transplant of a gene-edited pig liver into 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, using a donor 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 own 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 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 gene-edited 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 review article in the Journal of Hepatology stated that this success cannot be widely applied, but has established important clinical evidence that pig liver can function in the human body./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/trung-quoc-thanh-cong-ghep-gan-lon-chinh-sua-gene-dau-tien-tren-nguoi-song-post1071986.vnp