Breakthrough: Chinese Patient Survives 170+ Days After Pioneering Pig Liver Xenotransplantation

A 71-year-old Chinese patient managed to survive for over 170 days following a pioneering xenotransplantation procedure involving a genetically modified pig liver, according to medical professionals involved in the case.

The patient from Anhui province, suffering from cirrhosis and severe hepatitis B-related liver disease with no conventional treatment options available, received the genetically engineered pig liver as a final intervention.

Medical experts reported that the transplanted pig liver initially functioned effectively, producing bile and performing essential metabolic activities within the patient's system. However, doctors had to remove the graft after 38 days due to complications from xenotransplantation-related thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA).

Remarkably, the patient continued to live for approximately 171 days after the graft removal with medical support before eventually succumbing to internal hemorrhage.

Dr. Beicheng Sun from Anhui Medical University, who led the medical team, stated that this extended survival period demonstrates both potential compatibility and ongoing challenges in xenotransplantation. "Everyone always says liver is too complicated to transplant, compared to the heart or kidney, but after this, in the future, I think people will think differently," Dr. Sun told CNN.

Xenotransplantation has long been considered a potential solution to human organ shortages, though significant scientific obstacles remain. Various pig organs including hearts and kidneys have previously been transplanted into humans and large animals with mixed results. The liver presents particular challenges due to its complex functions in metabolism, synthesis, and detoxification.

"I think liver is good if we can get enough human genes in the pig," Dr. Sun added.

Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, Gastroenterology and Hepatology professor at Hannover Medical School in Germany, described the experiment as showing "a cause for cautious optimism" while also serving as a "reminder of how far the field must still travel."

"It's really groundbreaking," Wedemeyer told CNN. "For me, as a transplant hepatologist, it really offers completely new views and ideas."

Pigs are considered the most promising donor animals for xenotransplantation due to their size, organ similarity to humans, and available gene-editing technologies. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of these technologies combined with novel immune-suppressive approaches.

In 2022, David Bennett became the first person to receive a heart from a genetically modified pig. The 57-year-old survived for two months following the procedure at the University of Maryland Medical Centre.

Last year, Richard Slayman, 62, received a kidney transplant from a genetically engineered pig at Massachusetts General Hospital, surviving for over two months post-procedure.