World's First Multi-Organ Pig-to-Human Xenotransplantation Performed in China

¨  Chinese surgeons at Xijing Hospital of the Chinese Air Force Medical University performed a landmark transplant procedure.

¨     They transplanted two gene-edited pig kidneys and one pig liver into a 53-year-old brain-dead patient.

¨     It was the world's first simultaneous multi-organ pig-to-human transplant.

¨     The transplanted organs contained six gene edits designed to reduce immune rejection.

¨     Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another.

¨     Pig organs are widely used in xenotransplantation research because their size and physiological characteristics are similar to those of humans.

¨     Gene editing is used to modify donor animals and improve compatibility with the human body.

¨     The primary goal is to reduce the likelihood of rejection by the human immune system.

¨     In this case, six genes in the pig organs were edited to enhance compatibility and limit immune responses.

¨     The transplanted pig liver began producing bile within 19 hours of the operation.

¨     Kidney function remained normal during the first five days after surgery.

¨     Early signs of rejection appeared about 36 hours after the transplant.

¨   Human immune cells gradually began replacing pig cells in the transplanted organs, indicating an immune response.

¨     The achievement represents a significant step toward addressing the global shortage of donor organs.

¨     Gene-edited animal organs could make xenotransplantation safer and more effective in the future.

¨The procedure marks an important milestone in the development of multi-organ xenotransplantation.