Chinese Man Lives 171 Days With Pig Liver in Bold Medical Leap
A 71-year-old man from China’s Anhui province has set a global record by surviving 171 days after receiving a genetically engineered pig liver transplant.
The patient, who was suffering from end-stage liver disease and cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B, underwent the experimental procedure as a last resort after conventional treatments failed.
The case marks a major milestone in xenotransplantation—the transplantation of organs between species.
The pig liver, modified with human-compatible genes, initially functioned successfully by producing bile and performing essential metabolic tasks.
However, doctors removed the organ on day 38 due to a complication known as xenotransplantation-related thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA).
Despite the removal, the patient continued to survive with intensive medical support for another 133 days before passing away from internal bleeding.
Dr. Beicheng Sun, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, led the surgical team.
He told CNN, “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.”
The extended survival—even after the organ’s removal suggests partial compatibility and highlights both the promise and complexity of pig-to-human liver transplantation.
Xenotransplantation has long been viewed as a potential solution to the global shortage of human organs.
While pig hearts and kidneys have been transplanted into humans with mixed results, the liver’s multifaceted role in metabolism, detoxification, and protein synthesis makes it one of the most challenging organs to replicate.
“I think liver is good if we can get enough human genes in the pig,” Dr. Sun added.
Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, a transplant hepatologist at Hannover Medical School in Germany, described the case as “really groundbreaking.”
Speaking to CNN, he said, “For me, as a transplant hepatologist, it really offers completely new views and ideas.”
The experiment, he noted, is both a reason for cautious optimism and a reminder of the scientific hurdles that remain.
According to the Reading Chronicle, pigs are considered ideal donor animals due to their organ size, physiological similarity to humans, and the availability of advanced gene-editing technologies.
Recent studies have shown promise in using genetically modified pigs for organ donation, supported by novel immune-suppressive strategies.
Previous cases include David Bennett, the first person to receive a genetically modified pig heart in 2022.
He died two months after the procedure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
In another case, Richard Slayman received a pig kidney transplant last year at Massachusetts General Hospital but passed away just over two months later.
This latest case in China not only sets a new survival record but also opens the door to future possibilities in organ replacement science.
It may pave the way for pig livers to serve as temporary bridges for patients awaiting human donors or recovering from liver failure.
