A Groundbreaking Liver Transplant in China

A hospital in East China's Anhui province has successfully transplanted a liver from a genetically modified pig into a human patient. The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, located in the provincial capital of Hefei, announced the success on Friday, a week after the surgery was conducted.

The patient, a 71-year-old male suffering from liver cancer, was in good condition, able to move freely without any sign of acute rejection, said the hospital in a news release. This breakthrough was achieved jointly by teams from Anhui Medical University and Yunnan Agricultural University from Yunnan province.

The procedure, approved by various ethics committees, represents a significant leap in medical innovation, positioning Chinese researchers at the forefront of xenotransplantation technology globally, according to the hospital.

While significant progress has been made in the United States in xenotransplantation using genetically modified pigs for organ transplants, with successful cases of heart and kidney transplants, liver transplantation had been considered challenging due to the liver's complex functions involving metabolism, immunity, hematopoiesis, and coagulation. This successful liver transplant marks a significant milestone in the field of xenotransplantation and offers hope for patients with end-stage liver disease.