In a groundbreaking medical feat, doctors in China have successfully carried out the world’s first pig-to-human liver transplant, keeping a 71-year-old man alive for 171 days.
The surgery, performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, involved transplanting a gene-edited pig liver into a patient suffering from severe liver cirrhosis and cancer. The pig organ was engineered with 10 genetic modifications to reduce rejection and improve compatibility.
The liver functioned normally for 38 days, producing bile and key proteins before it was removed due to blood vessel complications. Remarkably, the patient continued to live for over four more months after the operation, ultimately passing away from internal bleeding not liver failure.
Experts have hailed the case as a major milestone in xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs to save human lives. It demonstrates that pig organs could one day bridge the global shortage of human donors.
Lead surgeon Dr. Beicheng Sun described the outcome as “a breakthrough that proves genetically engineered pig livers can function in humans for an extended period,” while stressing that more research is needed to overcome long-term complications.
This achievement marks a new chapter in transplant science, offering hope for thousands of patients awaiting life-saving organ replacements.
