Bhubaneswar, Oct 9: In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Chinese surgeons have successfully transplanted a portion of a genetically modified pig’s liver into a human patient, marking the first such procedure ever reported.

The operation, detailed in The Journal of Hepatology, was performed on a 71-year-old man suffering from advanced liver cancer and hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, conditions that made him ineligible for a human donor organ.

The surgical team removed the patient’s diseased right liver lobe and grafted the pig liver segment onto the remaining left lobe. Remarkably, the porcine liver functioned effectively, producing bile and synthesised blood clotting factors. The patient’s immune system did not reject the graft, allowing his own liver to begin regenerating.

After 38 days, the pig liver was removed due to complications, and the patient survived for over five months post-surgery.

Experts have hailed the procedure as a major milestone in transplant medicine. Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, co-editor of the journal, called it a “historical clinical milestone,” while Dr. Heidi Yeh of Harvard Medical School praised the courage of the Chinese team, noting that previous attempts in primates had largely failed.

The success underscores China’s rapid progress in xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs in humans. With over 300,000 cases of liver failure annually and a severe shortage of human donors, Chinese researchers are exploring genetically modified pig organs as a viable alternative. Recent reports also highlight successful pig kidney and lung transplants in China.

Lead surgeon Dr. Beicheng Sun emphasized that the pig liver was intended as a temporary “bridge” to support liver recovery or buy time for a human donor organ. The achievement opens new possibilities for treating end-stage liver disease and may pave the way for future clinical trials worldwide.

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