A genetically altered pig lung was transplanted into a brain-dead 39-year-old male human and maintained viability and function for 216 hours without signs of infection or rejection. The donor was a 22-month-old, 70-kilogram male Chinese Bama Xiang pig. Lungs pose unique anatomical and physiological challenges compared with hearts and kidneys, including constant exposure to outside air that increases infection risk. The transplant showed no hyperacute rejection or uncontrolled infection during nine days of monitoring. Genetic modifications and immunosuppressive strategies contributed to maintaining lung function. Substantial further testing and solutions to remaining challenges are required before clinical use.
The transplantation of organs across species is known as xenotransplantation and has been touted as a potential solution to the global organ shortage crisis. According to the Guangzhou study, advancements have recently been made in heart and kidney xenotransplantation from pigs to humans, but lungs present "distinct challenges" due to their "anatomical and physiological complexity." Among other things, the direct contact of the lung with the outside air naturally increases the risk of infection.
But the genetically altered lung transplanted from the 22-month-old, 70-kilogram, male, Chinese Bama Xiang pig to the 39-year-old male human patient survived and functioned for over a week of monitoring. "This study demonstrates that genetically modified pig lungs can maintain viability and functionality in brain-dead recipients for 216hours without signs of hyperacute rejection or evidence of uncontrolled infection," concluded the researchers. "This success highlights the progress made in genetic modifications and immunosuppressive strategies but also underscores key challenges that must be addressed for clinical translation."
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