Daijiworld Media Network – Beijing

Beijing, Aug 26: In a landmark medical feat, scientists at Guangzhou Medical University in China have carried out the world’s first pig lung transplant into a human, offering fresh hope in tackling global organ shortages. The recipient, a 39-year-old brain-dead man, received the genetically engineered pig lung in May 2024, with the organ functioning effectively for nine days without immediate hyper-acute rejection or infection.

The donor lung was sourced from a six-gene–edited pig, designed to silence rejection-triggering genes and enhance compatibility by adding human genes. While no violent immune reaction occurred, the lung developed fluid buildup within 24 hours, and antibody-mediated rejection signs emerged in the following days. Doctors controlled the immune response with a complex drug regimen. The trial was concluded on day nine at the family’s request.

Medical experts have hailed the achievement as a milestone in xenotransplantation—the transplant of organs across species—especially since lungs, constantly exposed to pathogens and pollutants, are among the most difficult organs to transplant. “This is a promising yet preliminary step. Clinical use in living patients is still a long way ahead,” experts observed, adding that the patient’s natural lung may have helped support function during the trial.

Despite challenges, the breakthrough is seen as a vital step towards easing the acute shortage of donor lungs, with thousands dying globally each year while awaiting transplants. Researchers are now focused on refining pig genetic edits, improving immunosuppressive protocols, and enhancing preservation techniques to extend organ survival.

While far from routine clinical application, the trial underscores decades of progress in transplant medicine, opening the possibility that gene-edited pig lungs could one day become life-saving alternatives for critically ill patients.