Surgeons conduct world’s first pig-to-human lung transplant

Chinese surgeons have performed the first successful pig-to-human lung transplantation, with the genetically modified organ functioning for over a week in a human recipient.

Researchers from Guangzhou Medical University transplanted a lung from a genetically engineered pig into a 39-year-old brain-dead male patient which became a victorious moment in health sector history, marking a significant advancement in the field of cross-species organ transplantation.

The breakthrough operation theatre procedure, published in a journal, Nature Medicine, involved extensive genetic modification of the donor pig to remove proteins known to trigger aggressive human immune responses against foreign tissue.

The medical team administered immuno-suppressive medicines to prevent organ rejection following transplantation while closely monitoring the lung's functionality.

Jianxing He, lead author of the study wrote: “The lung xenograft maintained viability and functionality over the course of the 216 hours of the monitoring period, without signs of hyperacute rejection or infection.”

“Antibody-mediated rejection appeared to contribute to cross-species transplanted organ damage on postoperative days 3 and 6, with partial recovery by day 9,” the publication further revealed.

The xenograft maintained throughout the monitoring period without signs of hyperacute rejection or infection, representing a major milestone in xenotransplantation research despite observed complications.