Porcine liver and human patient: an unprecedented and functional alliance

#Xenotransplantation #LiverTransplantation #GeneticallyModifiedPigLiver  


The global shortage of organs hinders access to life-saving transplants, particularly for end-stage liver diseases. In a major medical breakthrough, a team of researchers from Xijing Hospital (China) performed a heterotopic auxiliary xenogeneic liver transplantation by implanting a genetically modified pig liver into a brain-dead human patient.

The objective was to assess the short-term viability, cross-species immune tolerance, and functional capacity of a porcine liver in a human. The graft remained functional for 10 days, demonstrating its potential as a temporary treatment for patients with acute liver failure.