Scientific breakthrough: first pig liver transplant to human

A pig liver has been transplanted into a human patient for the first time, Chinese researchers from Xi'an University announced. This medical achievement represents a revolutionary experiment in the field of xenotransplantation, but it does not yet have immediate clinical applicability.

• Experiment details

The transplant was performed on a brain-dead patient. The donor was a miniature pig, genetically modified to increase the chances of success of the intervention. The researchers aimed to test the viability of a pig liver in the human body.

The transplanted liver functioned for 10 days, synthesizing bile and albumin normally. Later, the experiment was terminated at the request of the patient's family. It is important to note that the patient kept his own liver, and the transplant had an auxiliary role. This method could be used in the future to provide patients with a temporary solution until a compatible human liver is found.

• Reaction from the scientific community

The results of the study were published in the prestigious journal Nature and were considered "impressive" by specialists. Professor Peter Friend, a transplant expert at the University of Oxford, warned that although this achievement marks a significant advance, it cannot replace, at least in the short term, a human liver transplant.

However, this experiment confirms the potential of genetically modified pigs as organ donors for humans. In recent years, several experimental transplants of pig organs, including kidneys and hearts, have been carried out in the United States. Although patient survival has been limited, a man who received a pig kidney in November 2024 is still alive.

• Future challenges

Liver transplantation remains a major challenge, because this organ has multiple complex functions, far beyond those of a heart or a kidney. However, the progress made by Chinese researchers could open new horizons in transplant medicine, offering hope to patients on waiting lists for a compatible organ. This achievement represents an important step towards the future of xenotransplantation, a promising direction to solve the shortage of organs available for transplant.