China completes first gene-edited pig liver transplant in human

A Chinese medical team has successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig liver into a brain-dead human, marking a breakthrough in xenotransplantation. The organ functioned normally, showing no signs of acute rejection or viral transmission during a 10-day observation period.

Chinese researchers have performed the first-ever transplant of a gene-edited pig liver into a brain-dead human, with the organ demonstrating normal physiological function, according to state media.

The liver, taken from a pig with six genetic modifications, was implanted into a brain-dead patient whose vital functions were being medically sustained.

Led by Dou Kefeng, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a team from Xijing Hospital and other institutions carried out the procedure while keeping the recipient’s own liver intact to mimic therapy for liver failure patients.

“We observed that the transplanted pig liver successfully performed its functions in the human body, including bile secretion, with stable blood supply and promising pathological results,” Dou stated.

Throughout the 10-day monitoring period, researchers found no signs of hyperacute rejection or transmission of porcine endogenous retroviruses.

This breakthrough follows a recent achievement by Chinese scientists, who successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a patient with uremia.

On March 6, a team from Xijing Hospital at the Air Force Medical University implanted a gene-modified pig kidney into a 69-year-old woman with end-stage kidney disease.

In recent years, several gene-edited pig heart and kidney transplants have been conducted globally, advancing the field of xenotransplantation.

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