Chinese Doctors Achieve Historic Gene-Edited Pig Liver Transplant

A team of Chinese medical professionals has achieved a remarkable milestone in transplantation medicine by successfully implanting a genetically modified pig liver into a brain-dead patient. This pioneering surgery, which unfolded over a span of more than 10 hours, took place at Xijing Hospital on January 7, 2025, under the guidance of Dou Kefeng, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with a dedicated group of researchers and doctors.

Following the procedure, the patient's vital signs, including circulation, appeared to be stable, and the function of the transplanted liver was gradually normalizing, suggesting that the operation had been successful. This landmark achievement in xenotransplantation brings new optimism to individuals facing liver failure, as liver transplants are currently the only effective remedy for this condition.

The recipient received the gene-edited liver from a biotechnology company based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Prior to this groundbreaking operation, the genetically modified pigs had been involved in studies focusing on liver transplants from pigs to monkeys, as well as subclinical kidney transplants from pigs to humans, which confirmed their safety and efficacy.

The decision to proceed with the surgery followed thorough discussions and approval from various academic bodies and ethics committees, ensuring adherence to international regulations. Given that China has approximately 400 million individuals diagnosed with liver diseases, including over 7 million with cirrhosis, the introduction of this innovative transplant option could significantly impact liver disease management, considering there are about 300,000 to 500,000 new liver failure cases reported annually.