Beijing (TDI): Chinese researchers have reported the world’s first successful transplant of a genetically modified pig lung into a human body, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature.
The recipient was a 39-year-old brain-dead man in China who received a lung that had undergone six genetic modifications to improve compatibility with humans.
The organ remained viable and functional for nine days without any signs of hyperacute rejection or infection, the study noted.
Lead researcher He Jianxing said the achievement marks a “vital step forward” in the field of xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs for human transplants, as the global shortage of donor organs continues to grow.
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Experts hailed the breakthrough as a milestone in medical science. “This study marks a milestone in translational medicine,” said Beatriz Dominguez-Gil, director of Spain’s National Transplant Organization.
She emphasized that lungs are particularly difficult to transplant because of their delicate physiological balance, constant exposure to air, and high blood flow, which make them highly vulnerable.
Muhammad Mohiuddin, a transplant surgeon at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who oversaw the first pig-heart transplant into a living patient in 2022, also praised the achievement.
“Lungs are the most difficult organ to transplant,” he said. “I applaud their effort. It’s a first step toward lung xenotransplantation.”
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So far, at least half a dozen patients in China and the United States have received genome-edited pig organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers, and even a thymus.
Scientists believe these advances are gradually paving the way for clinical trials, bringing xenotransplantation closer to reality as a solution to the widening organ shortage worldwide.
