Medical researchers in China have achieved a historic milestone by successfully transplanting a genetically modified pig liver into a human patient — the first of its kind worldwide.
According to sources, the recipient was a 71-year-old man whose liver had been severely damaged by hepatitis B infection and cancer. He was ineligible for a human liver transplant, making the pig liver procedure his only option. Remarkably, he survived for nearly six months after the surgery.
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Unlike previous trials carried out on brain-dead patients, this case represents the first therapeutic use of a genetically engineered pig liver in a living person.
The study, published in the Journal of Hepatology, revealed that the pig liver was able to support essential metabolic and synthetic functions in the patient. Doctors implanted an “auxiliary graft” from a genetically modified Diannan miniature pig, designed to improve compatibility with the human body.
The organ functioned effectively for the first month. However, on day 38, doctors were forced to remove the graft after complications associated with xenotransplantation, known as thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA). Although the condition was treated successfully, the patient later died 171 days after the surgery.
“This case proves that genetically modified pig liver can function in a human for an extended period,” said lead researcher Dr. Beicheng Sun of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. “It is a pivotal step forward, though significant hurdles such as immune rejection and blood clotting complications remain.”
He added that while the breakthrough opens new possibilities, it also raises important biological and ethical questions that must be resolved before pig organs can be widely used in human medicine.
Xenotransplantation — the process of transplanting animal organs into humans — has long been pursued as a potential solution to organ shortages. Pigs are considered the most promising donor animals due to their organ size, biological similarities, and the advancement of gene-editing technologies.
In recent years, similar attempts with other pig organs have been reported. In 2022, David Bennett became the first person to receive a pig heart transplant in the U.S., though he died two months later. In 2024, Richard Slayman, who underwent the world’s first pig kidney transplant, passed away nearly two months after surgery.
Despite these challenges, scientists say the latest achievement marks the beginning of “a new era of transplant hepatology,” potentially offering hope for patients with acute and chronic liver failure.
