Researchers in China have achieved a historic medical milestone by successfully transplanting a genetically modified pig liver into a human being for the first time in the world.
The recipient, a 71-year-old man, survived for nearly six months following the groundbreaking operation. His own liver had been severely damaged by hepatitis B and liver cancer, conditions that made him ineligible for a human donor transplant.
According to findings published in the Journal of Hepatology, the team confirmed that genetically modified pig livers can sustain vital metabolic and synthetic functions in human recipients.
The medical team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University used an “auxiliary graft” from a gene-edited Diannan miniature pig, engineered to reduce immune rejection and enhance organ compatibility. The transplanted liver functioned well during the first month of monitoring, but complications later developed, including xenotransplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA), which required removal of the graft after 38 days.
Despite medical intervention that managed the condition, the patient passed away 171 days after the operation.
Lead investigator, Dr Beicheng Sun, described the case as a “major step forward,” noting that it demonstrates both the potential and the challenges of xenotransplantation, particularly in controlling immune and clotting responses.
In a related commentary, Dr Heiner Wedemeyer, co-editor of the Journal of Hepatology, hailed the success as a “landmark achievement” that could transform the field of transplant medicine, while also cautioning that biological and ethical issues must be addressed before wider clinical adoption.
Xenotransplantation — the use of animal organs, tissues, or cells in human patients — has long been viewed as a promising solution to donor shortages. Pigs are considered ideal donor species due to their organ size, physiology, and advances in genetic engineering.
While past decades were marked by immune rejection challenges, recent breakthroughs in gene-editing and immunosuppressive therapy are renewing hope for cross-species transplants.
This latest achievement follows other pioneering efforts, including heart and kidney transplants from genetically modified pigs in the U.S. — surgeries that, although temporary in success, paved the way for continued progress.
Experts say the Chinese team’s success could mark the beginning of a new era in transplant medicine, bringing scientists closer to developing reliable animal-to-human organ transplants to save lives worldwide.