In a historic medical milestone, researchers in China have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a human, marking the world’s first such procedure for therapeutic purposes.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) released on Thursday, the patient — a 71-year-old man suffering from advanced liver cancer and irreversible scarring caused by hepatitis B — survived nearly six months following the groundbreaking operation.
The transplant was performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, where scientists used a liver from a genetically engineered Diannan miniature pig. The gene modifications were designed to make the organ more compatible with human physiology.
A New Frontier in Organ Transplantation
Published in the Journal of Hepatology, the research revealed that the pig liver was able to support essential metabolic and synthetic functions in the human recipient for several weeks.
For the first month, the auxiliary graft functioned effectively. However, by day 38, doctors removed the graft due to complications from a rare condition known as xenotransplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA) — a blood-clotting disorder linked to cross-species transplants.
Although treatment successfully resolved the complication, the patient later died 171 days (almost six months) after surgery.
“This case proves that a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period,” said Dr. Beicheng Sun, the lead investigator.
“It is a pivotal step forward, demonstrating both the promise and the remaining hurdles, particularly regarding coagulation dysregulation and immune complications.”
Scientific and Ethical Implications
In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, co-editor of the Journal of Hepatology, hailed the achievement as a landmark moment in transplant medicine.
“This report shows that a genetically modified porcine liver can engraft and deliver key hepatic functions in a human recipient,” Wedemeyer wrote.
“At the same time, it highlights the biological and ethical challenges that remain before such approaches can be translated into wider clinical use.”
He added that xenotransplantation — the process of transplanting animal organs or tissues into humans — could eventually revolutionize treatment for patients with acute liver failure, chronic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma, opening what he described as “a new era of transplant hepatology.”
Background: Pig Organs in Human Medicine
Pigs have long been considered the most suitable donor animals due to their organ size, availability, and genetic similarities to humans.
However, immune rejection has posed a major barrier for decades.
Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing and immune suppression techniques have renewed hope in overcoming these challenges.
The liver transplant follows earlier breakthroughs:
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In 2022, David Bennett, a 57-year-old American, became the first person to receive a genetically modified pig heart. He survived two months after the operation at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
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In 2024, Richard Slayman, 62, received a pig kidney transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital but passed away nearly two months later.
These cases, while tragic, are seen as critical milestones that push the limits of biomedical science toward solving the global organ shortage crisis.
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