Doctors in China say they transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a 71-year-old man who lived 171 days after the procedure, and 38 of those days were with the pig organ in place – a first to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Scientists have had early success transplanting genetically modified pig kidneys and hearts into humans, and pig livers have been transplanted into people who were brain-dead. But experts in the field of xenotransplantation – using animal organs in people – have had some concerns about whether the liver would be a good candidate for such a procedure.
“Everyone always says, ‘oh, liver is too complicated to transplant, compared to the heart or kidney,’ but after this, in the future, I think people will think differently. I think liver is good if we can get enough human genes in the pig,” said Dr. Beicheng Sun, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and a co-author of the new study.
Unlike hearts and kidneys that have more narrow functions, the liver is more complicated to replace with a pig organ because it’s large and has a dual blood supply and multiple functions.
Continue Reading on CNN
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.