First Full Pig Liver Transplant Performed in China

Medical professionals in Northwest China have reported a remarkable milestone in xenotransplantation with the successful completion of the world's first full pig liver transplant into a human. This groundbreaking surgical procedure took place at Xijing Hospital in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on a brain-dead patient whose condition had been determined after extensive resuscitation efforts. Leading the 10-hour operation were Dou Kefeng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tao Kaishan, the head of the hepatobiliary surgery department. The operation also received valuable support from over ten medical departments within the hospital.

The surgery encompassed several pivotal steps, starting from the excision of the genetically modified pig liver to the removal of the patient's original liver, followed by the implantation of the pig liver and reconstructing the relevant arterial vein. The doctors noted that the complexity of liver transplantation posed significant challenges due to the organ's crucial role in metabolic processes, coagulation factors, and immunity regulation. Following the procedure, the hospital reported that the brain-dead patient exhibited stable vital signs and maintained liver function.

This advancement is particularly significant in light of the severe shortage of human liver transplants in China, where an estimated 400 million individuals suffer from liver-related illnesses, with around 7 million facing cirrhosis. The annual increase in patients affected by liver failure ranges from 300,000 to 500,000, highlighting a pressing need for solutions. The success of this pig liver transplant opens new avenues for addressing the organ donation crisis, as it circumvents the traditional dependency on scarce human donor organs.

Hospital officials believe that the outcome of this surgery reinforces the viability of genetically modified pig livers as an alternative for human liver transplants, especially as research in this field continues to evolve. Xijing Hospital has been investigating xenogeneic transplantation since 2013 and has previously conducted experimental transplants involving various organs, including kidneys, hearts, skin, and corneas. The global landscape has also seen at least 21 xenogeneic organ transplants since the pioneering transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain-dead patient in the United States in 2021.