A genetically modified pig lung survived for nine days inside a human, marking an early step toward pig-to-human lung transplantation. Pigs are considered promising organ donors because many organs match human size and structure and pigs breed prolifically in pathogen-free conditions. Kidneys, livers and hearts from pigs have been transplanted into humans, but lungs pose special difficulties due to extensive blood vessels and macrophages. Macrophages can produce rapid immune responses and trigger potentially lethal inflammation when blood flow is restored after transplant, making lung xenotransplantation especially challenging.
Because of such complexity, we knew lungs would be the last organ that will get into the clinic, says Muhammad Mohiuddin, a surgeon and president of the International Xenotransplantation Association, who conducted the first pig-to-human heart transplantation in 2022 but was not involved with the new experiment. And although it is a great achievement for the field, we have to be cautiously optimistic because this is just an early foray into understanding this extremely difficult procedure.
Researchers have successfully transplanted pig kidneys, livers and hearts into humans, but lungs have remained a daunting challenge because of their complex physiology. For one thing, lungs contain many blood vessels and white blood cells called macrophages, which surround and kill bacteria and viruses. These cells rapidly produce immune responsesbut they also tend to trigger rapid and potentially lethal inflammation when surgeons restore blood flow after reducing it during transplant surgery.
Scientists announced this week that they have managed to keep a genetically modified pig lung alive inside a human bodyalthough brieflyfor the first time. The lung survived for nine days, marking what some researchers say is an early step toward a major, long-hoped-for medical breakthrough. But others note that the road ahead is still a lengthy one. With available human organs constantly filling only a tiny fraction of transplant demand, scientists have been trying for decades to turn pigs into lifesaving donors.
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