pigs Photo: VCG

pigs Photo: VCG

 

A Chinese research team published a paper Monday in the British journal Nature Medicine, reporting the world’s first successful transplantation of a genetically-edited pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient. 

This achievement is expected to help ease the shortage of lung donors and has been hailed by international experts as “a milestone” in the field, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

A research team led by He Jianxing, a professor at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, transplanted a lung from a six-gene-edited pig into a 39-year-old brain-dead male human recipient following a brain hemorrhage. The lung xenograft remained viable and functional throughout the 216-hour monitoring period, without signs of hyperacute rejection or infection, according to the paper in Nature Medicine.

The donor pig had undergone six genetic edits to reduce immune risks. Postoperative monitoring of respiration, blood, and imaging showed that the transplanted lung sustained ventilation and gas-exchange functions for up to nine days, with no occurrence of hyperacute rejection during this period. Concurrent pathogen monitoring also revealed no signs of active infection, the Xinhua report said. 

As of April, more than 7.05 million people have registered as organ donors in China, the Global Times learned in April. There have been more than 58,000 organ donations, 63,000 body donations, and 110,000 corneal donations, restoring sight to 100,000, saving over 170,000 lives and supporting medical education and research. Yet, the country still faces a donor shortage.

“Currently, global demand for organ transplants is rising, and xenotransplantation is considered a potential solution to the shortage of donors,” He told Xinhua. “This achievement marks a critical step forward in xenogeneic lung transplantation.”

Liu Changqiu, the deputy head of Life Law Research Society of Shanghai Law Society, told the Global Times on Tuesday that there are three major approaches for future organ supply, which are xenotransplantation, development of artificial organs as well as cultivating organs through cloned human cells, the latter of which still faces technical bottlenecks.

Given ongoing challenges in cloned and artificial organ development, xenotransplantation plays a critical role in easing the shortage of donors, Liu said.

He stated that the next steps will focus on optimizing gene-editing strategies and anti-rejection treatment plans to extend the survival and functionality of transplanted organs. 

The team plans to apply their self-developed tube-free technology to xenogeneic lung transplantation trials to reduce the damage caused by mechanical ventilation to donor lungs and accelerate the translation of xenogeneic lung transplantation into clinical practice.

The research team emphasized that the study strictly complied to national laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines, and underwent review and supervision by the hospital’s ethics committee and other relevant institutions. 

The recipient, who had suffered severe traumatic brain injury, was confirmed brain-dead after multiple independent evaluations. The family, motivated by a desire to support medical progress, agreed to participate in the study without compensation. The study concluded on the ninth day at the family’s request, per Xinhua.

Xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs into humans, is a cutting-edge field in global medical research. International experts have praised this breakthrough. 

Xinhua cited Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, director of the Spanish National Transplant Organization, as saying that, “Previous xenotransplantation trials have been limited to kidneys, hearts, and livers. Compared with these, xenogeneic lung transplantation faces greater challenges. Due to the lung’s delicate physiological balance, its exposure to substantial blood flow, and its constant contact with the external air, it is particularly vulnerable to damage.” 

She described the Chinese team’s achievement as “a milestone” in related research.