BEIJING, China. Chinese researchers have taken significant steps in the field of xenotransplantation, reporting the successful transplantation of a genetically modified pig kidney into a human patient and an experimental pig liver transplant into a brain-dead individual.
A team from Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an announced that nearly three weeks after undergoing surgery, the patient receiving the pig kidney is in stable condition. “[The patient] is very well, and the pig kidney likewise is functioning very well,” said Dr. Lin Wang, a member of the hospital’s xenotransplant team, during a briefing this week.
The patient, identified by Chinese media as a 69-year-old woman suffering from kidney failure for the past eight years, remains under medical observation to monitor the organ’s long-term viability. She is the third known person worldwide to receive a gene-edited pig kidney transplant, following two successful procedures in the United States—one in Alabama in November 2023 and another in New Hampshire in January 2024.
Exploring Pig Livers for Human Transplantation
In addition to the kidney transplant, Wang’s team conducted an experiment involving a pig liver transplanted into a brain-dead individual. Their findings, published in Nature on Wednesday, indicated that the organ survived for 10 days without early signs of rejection. The pig liver produced bile and albumin—both crucial for basic liver function—although at lower levels compared to a human liver.
“We do find that it could function a little bit in a human being,” Wang explained, suggesting that a pig liver might serve as temporary support for failing human livers in the future.
The liver, one of the body’s most complex organs, performs essential functions such as filtering waste, metabolizing nutrients and medications, fighting infections, and regulating blood clotting. Due to these complexities, liver xenotransplantation remains a challenging frontier.
Comparing Research Approaches
The U.S. has also been exploring pig liver transplants. In 2023, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested an external pig liver attachment to a brain-dead patient, functioning similarly to dialysis for kidney failure. Meanwhile, U.S. biotech company eGenesis is working on refining this approach.
In China, Wang’s team opted not to remove the deceased individual’s own liver but instead implanted the pig liver alongside it. This method, however, raises scientific questions. “It’s hopefully a first step, but like any good research, it raises more questions than answers,” said Dr. Parsia Vagefi, a liver transplant surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center who was not involved in the study.
According to reports, another Chinese hospital attempted a similar experiment last year by transplanting a pig liver into a living patient after removing a cancerous portion of his liver. However, the outcome of that case remains unclear.
The Future of Xenotransplantation
Scientists worldwide continue to refine gene-editing techniques to make pig organs more compatible with human bodies, aiming to address the growing shortage of transplantable human organs. With clinical trials in the U.S. set to begin soon, the success of these pioneering procedures could pave the way for a revolutionary shift in organ transplantation, potentially saving thousands of lives in the future.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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