Pig Liver Trial Aims to Treat Sudden Liver Failure

Researchers in the United States are preparing to test a novel approach to treating sudden liver failure. The study will explore the potential of using gene-edited pig livers to temporarily filter the blood of patients, allowing their own damaged livers a chance to recover. This innovative clinical trial has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

The trial is a response to the significant challenges posed by acute liver failure. Each year, approximately 35,000 individuals in the U.S. are hospitalized due to this condition. The available treatment options are limited, and the mortality rate can reach as high as 50%. Many patients are ineligible for liver transplants or cannot find a suitable match in time.

The study, scheduled to begin later this spring, represents a unique approach to animal-to-human organ transplantation. Instead of transplanting the pig liver, researchers will connect it externally to the study participants. The goal is to determine if the pig liver can temporarily take over the function of the patient's liver, giving the patient's own liver a chance to regenerate.

Preliminary experiments using deceased bodies demonstrated that the pig liver could support some human liver functions for a few days. The trial will involve up to 20 patients in intensive care units who are not candidates for liver transplants. A device developed by OrganOx will be used to circulate the patients' blood through the pig liver.

This trial is part of a broader effort to utilize gene-edited pig organs to save human lives. Pig kidneys from eGenesis and another pig producer are already being used in experimental transplants.