In a significant advancement for medical science, Chinese researchers have reported promising developments in the field of animal-to-human organ transplants. They have achieved a successful transplant of a pig kidney into a human, and there are indications that pig livers might also have potential for human use in the future.
Currently, a Chinese patient has become the third individual worldwide to live with a gene-edited pig kidney. The research team also conducted an experiment involving the implantation of a pig liver into a brain-dead individual. Scientists are modifying the genetics of pigs to create organs that are more comparable to human organs, aiming to ease the critical shortage of transplantable organs. While initial xenotransplants in the United States, involving pig hearts and kidneys, did not last long, subsequent recipients of pig kidneys in the U.S. have shown positive results. Notably, an Alabama woman who received a transplant in November and a man from New Hampshire who underwent the procedure in January are both doing well, and a clinical trial in the U.S. is imminent.
Dr. Lin Wang of Xijing Hospital, part of the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an, updated the media on the progress of the Chinese patient. Nearly three weeks after the surgery, the patient is reportedly doing well, and the pig kidney is functioning effectively. The recipient, a 69-year-old woman diagnosed with kidney failure eight years ago, remains in the hospital for ongoing tests.
Dr. Wang expressed optimism about the future potential of xenotransplantation, especially in the study of pig livers. According to a report in Nature, a pig liver transplanted into a brain-dead person survived and functioned for 10 days without early signs of organ rejection. Although the pig liver produced critical compounds like bile and albumin, its output was not as high as that of a human liver. The liver performs numerous vital functions, such as removing waste, processing nutrients, fighting infections, storing iron, and managing blood clotting, making it an especially complex organ to replicate.
The potential for pig livers to play a supportive role for failing human livers is an exciting prospect. Last year, U.S. surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania explored the concept of using a pig liver as “bridge” support during organ failure, attaching it externally to a brain-dead body to filter blood similar to kidney dialysis. Research into this method continues in the U.S.
Wang’s team in China conducted an experimental surgery where the pig liver was implanted near the existing human liver rather than replacing it entirely. This approach raises questions about the exact functioning and outcomes of the procedure. Dr. Parsia Vagefi, a liver transplant surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center, commented that while the research is an important step forward, it leaves many unanswered questions.
In another endeavor, Wang’s team replaced the liver of a brain-dead individual with a pig liver to study the effects, though results are yet to be thoroughly analyzed. There are reports of another hospital in China attempting a similar procedure on a living patient by transplanting a pig liver after removing part of the person’s cancerous liver, but the outcome remains uncertain.
Research and development in xenotransplantation hold the promise of revolutionizing organ transplant procedures in the future, providing new hope for patients with critical organ failure.