A groundbreaking study published in Nature Medicine has successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead man, with the lung functioning for nine days before rejection set in. The experiment was conducted by researchers from Guangzhou Medical University First Affiliated Hospital in China and aimed to explore the feasibility of xenotransplantation – the transfer of organs or tissues between species.
The patient, a 39-year-old man who suffered a brain hemorrhage, received the pig lung after obtaining consent from his family. The donor pig underwent six gene edits to reduce the risk of rejection, while the recipient received several medications to prevent infection and rejection.
Despite initial signs of success, problems arose when widespread swelling developed throughout the patient’s body, potentially due to blood flow issues. The lungs play a critical role in both breathing and blood circulation, making them more complicated to transplant than other organs.
While experts acknowledge the potential transformative power of xenotransplantation, they caution that significant challenges remain, including organ rejection and infection. Dr. Adam Griesemer, a transplant surgeon, noted that transplants of pig lungs into animals have shown similar results in past experiments, but it’s unclear whether these findings will translate to human recipients.
The study’s authors emphasized the need for further research before xenotransplantation can be considered viable as an organ donation option. The demand for donated organs is high, with over 103,000 people waiting for transplants in the US alone, and recent advances in cloning, gene editing, and stem cell therapy offer promising avenues for breakthroughs in the field.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/health/first-pig-to-human-lung-transplant