 "Surgeons put pig lung in human body: What it means for organ transplant")
It might sound like sci-fi, but doctors in China have taken a bold step forward in xenotransplantation - transplanting organs between species. In a remarkable first, surgeons in Guangzhou Medical University transplanted a lung from a genetically modified pig into a brain-dead 39-year-old human recipient.
The operation took place in May 2024, with the lung remaining viable and functioning for nine days (216 hours) before researchers halted the experiment.
The study, titled 'Pig-to-human lung xenotransplantation into a brain-dead recipient' and published in Nature Medicine journal on August 25, states that the pig lung did not trigger hyper-acute rejection or infection during that period. However, some oedema (fluid build-up) appeared 24 hours post-transplant, followed by signs of antibody-mediated rejection around days three and six, though these signs partially receded by day nine.
Why it matters
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only up to 10 per cent of the global need for organ transplants is being met. Xenotransplantation has been gathering pace to bridge this gap, with pig hearts and kidneys having previously been tested in humans. Yet lung transplantations are tougher as they constantly interact with the environment with every breath and are highly immune-sensitive.
"The immune system in the lung is very sensitive and very active, which means when you’re dealing with organ transplantation, where you know you don’t want the immune system to be very active, it poses extra challenges,” said Andrew Fisher, professor of respiratory transplant medicine at Newcastle University.
He shared that while the findings advance scientific understanding, they represent only an incremental move forward. “There is still much more work to be done, and we are not yet at the dawn of an era where pig lungs can be routinely used for human transplants,” he told the Guardian.
The scientific hurdles
- Immune response remains a major obstacle as despite using powerful immunosuppressants, organ rejection began developing within days.
- Oedema (primary graft dysfunction) emerged early on, likely due to ischemia–reperfusion injury
- Enhanced genetic modifications are needed. The donor pig had six genetic edits to lower rejection risk, but the experiment highlighted that more tweaks may be essential.
Experts also said the observation period in the Guangzhou study wasn’t long enough to determine whether the body might reject the organ later.
The researchers stressed that the technique is still in its early stages and will require significant refinement.
“Continued efforts are needed to optimise immunosuppressive regimens, refine genetic modifications, enhance lung preservation strategies and assess long-term graft function beyond the acute phase,” they wrote in the study.
Ethical considerations
Using the organs of genetically modified animals raises complex ethical questions. Insoo Hyun, an affiliate at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, pointed out that xenotransplantation raises difficult ethical questions. These include breeding animals solely for their organs and experimenting on brain-dead patients who cannot give consent.
“It’s a call that the institution makes, and the ethical reviewers have to make,” he told National Geographic.
He added that even if the procedure proves safe, it could create a “two-tiered system” where some patients receive animal organs while others get human ones.
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