Scientists in China have successfully performed the world’s first pig lung transplant in a human patient, marking a significant milestone in xenotransplantation.
In a groundbreaking medical procedure, a 39-year-old man in China became the first recipient of a pig lung transplant. The genetically modified organ was successfully transplanted into the patient, who had been declared brain-dead following a cerebral hemorrhage, according to an August 26 report published in the journal Nature.
The procedure took place last year at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangshou Medical University. The left lung used in the transplant came from a genetically modified pig that had undergone six genomic edits, developed by Chengdu Clonorgan Biotechnology, a research firm based in China.
While the patient was brain-dead, the transplanted lung functioned without signs of rejection for nine days. This trial aimed to assess how the pig lung would respond to the human immune system and to investigate the potential for “hyperacute rejection,” a rapid immune response that can occur after transplantation.
During the monitoring period, which lasted 216 hours, the researchers reported no indications of rejection or infection. However, they did observe some complications. In the first 24 hours, there was noticeable lung swelling and tissue damage. By days three and six, the team detected damage caused by antibodies attacking the organ, although this issue appeared to diminish by day nine.
The study concluded on the ninth day at the request of the patient’s family. The researchers acknowledged that while this trial demonstrates the feasibility of pig-to-human lung xenotransplantation, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning organ rejection and infection. They emphasized the need for further preclinical studies before this procedure can be translated into clinical practice.
Muhammad Mohiuddin, a surgeon and researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who previously led the first pig heart transplant into a living person in 2022, commented on the complexity of lung transplants. He noted that lungs are the “most difficult organ to transplant” due to their susceptibility to immune system attacks.
Mohiuddin praised the researchers’ efforts, calling this procedure a “first step” toward the future of lung xenotransplantation, which involves using organs from other species in human patients. The success of this trial could pave the way for more advancements in the field, particularly as clinical trials for pig liver and kidney transplants in humans have already been approved in the United States this year.
As the field of xenotransplantation continues to evolve, the implications of such procedures could be profound, potentially addressing the critical shortage of human organs available for transplantation.
Source: Original article