Chinese scientists have made a big step forward in the field of organ transplants, showing hope for pig organs being used in human treatments. In a new report, researchers confirmed the success of a pig kidney transplant in a human patient and shared positive early results from a pig liver transplant in a brain-dead person.
This development could bring new hope to thousands of patients suffering from organ failure, especially where donor shortages are a serious issue.
What Are Pig-to-Human Transplants?
Known as xenotransplantation, this method involves transplanting animal organs into humans. Scientists are using gene-editing techniques to make pig organs more similar to human organs, so they are less likely to be rejected by the body.
The goal is to solve the global problem of not having enough organ donors, especially for kidneys and livers.
Chinese Woman Is the Third to Receive a Pig Kidney
A 69-year-old Chinese woman has become the third person in the world to receive a gene-edited pig kidney. The surgery was performed nearly three weeks ago, and doctors say she is doing very well.
Dr. Lin Wang, part of the transplant team at Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an, told the media that the pig kidney is working properly, and the patient is still in the hospital for regular tests.
What About Pig Liver Transplants?
Dr. Wang’s team has also tested pig liver transplants. In one experiment, they implanted a pig liver into a brain-dead person, and the liver continued working for 10 days. It even produced bile and albumin, which are important for liver function, although at lower levels than a human liver.
Liver transplants are more complicated than kidneys because the liver performs many tasks, like:
- Removing waste
- Breaking down medicines
- Fighting infection
- Regulating blood clotting
- Storing vitamins and iron
Still, Wang says these early results show that pig livers can support human bodies, at least for a short time.
Other Experiments and Global Efforts
In the United States, two people have successfully received pig kidneys and are doing well — one in Alabama (November) and another in New Hampshire (January). A clinical trial in the U.S. is expected to start soon.
Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania tested a method where a pig liver was used outside the body to clean blood, similar to how dialysis works for kidneys.
In China, Wang’s team also tested replacing a brain-dead person’s human liver completely with a pig liver, and they are currently studying the results.
What Experts Say
Some experts say more research is needed. Dr. Parsia Vagefi, a liver transplant surgeon from the UT Southwestern Medical Center in the U.S., said that while the research is promising, there are still many unanswered questions.
Especially because, in the Chinese study, the pig liver was placed next to the human liver, not in its place, which makes it hard to know how much work the pig liver was actually doing.