Doctors perform world’s first pig liver transplant on human

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors in China have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a human patient — the first procedure of its kind in the world.

The recipient, a 71-year-old man suffering from irreversible liver scarring caused by hepatitis B and cancer, survived for nearly six months after the operation.

Because of his condition, he was not eligible for a traditional human liver transplant.

According to findings published in the Journal of Hepatology, this marks the first time a pig liver has been transplanted into a living human for therapeutic purposes. Previous attempts were conducted only in brain-dead patients as part of preparatory research.

The medical team, led by Dr Beicheng Sun of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, used an “auxiliary graft” from a genetically modified Diannan miniature pig.

The genetic modifications were designed to make the organ more compatible with the human immune system.

For the first month, the transplanted liver performed key metabolic and synthetic functions successfully.

However, on the 38th day, doctors removed the graft due to complications associated with xenotransplantation — specifically, a condition known as thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA). Although treatment resolved the condition, the patient died 171 days after the surgery.

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Sun said: “This case proves that a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period.

“It’s a pivotal step forward, demonstrating both the potential and the remaining challenges — especially in managing immune and coagulation issues.”

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, co-editor of the Journal of Hepatology, lauded the case as a “landmark in hepatology.”

He noted that the success shows a pig liver can engraft and perform essential functions in a human, but stressed the ethical and biological challenges that must be addressed before wider clinical use.

Xenotransplantation — the transfer of organs, tissues, or cells from animals to humans — has long been viewed as a potential solution to global organ shortages.

Pigs are considered the most promising donor species because of their similar organ size, rapid breeding, and adaptability to genetic modification.

Experts say the successful functioning of a pig liver in a human, even temporarily, represents a major leap forward in transplant medicine — and could one day provide new hope for patients with liver failure worldwide.

The Star