Genetically modified pig liver transplanted into a living person for the first time

"a case that came to light on Thursday: the first living person to receive a genetically modified pig liver transplant. This 71-year-old patient, who had cirrhosis and liver cancer, was able to use the organ for over a month, during which time it functioned properly. But on day 38, complications arose that forced the process to be reversed, and the man ultimately died four months later, on day 171 after the transplant."

"This case demonstrates that a genetically modified pig liver can function in humans for an extended period, says the study's principal investigator, Beicheng Sun, of First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. This is a crucial step that demonstrates both the potential and the remaining obstacles, especially regarding coagulation problems and immune complications that must be resolved, the specialist acknowledged in a statement published by the Journal of Hepatology, which published the achievement."

"In China, where this patient was from, hundreds of thousands of people suffer liver failure each year, but in 2022, only about 6,000 received a transplant. In Europe, last year there were more than 22,000 patients on a waiting list for a liver transplant, and of those, only half received the desired transplant, while more than 2,300 patients died on the waiting list."

A genetically modified pig liver was transplanted into a 71-year-old patient with cirrhosis and liver cancer and functioned properly for more than a month. Complications on day 38 forced reversal of the transplant, and the patient died on day 171. The case shows that pig livers can support human physiology for an extended period but highlights remaining obstacles, notably coagulation disorders and immune complications. Hundreds of thousands suffer liver failure annually in China while transplant capacity remains far lower. Long transplant waiting lists and donor shortages drive exploration of pig hearts, kidneys, and lungs as potential alternatives.

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