For the first time, scientists in China have transplanted a pig's lung into a human, marking a bold step forward in the quest to solve the chronic shortage of donor organs. This case involved the successful transplant of a lung from a genetically modified pig into a brain-dead human patient. The lung, taken from a pig that underwent six genetic edits, was placed into a 39-year-old man and functioned somewhat for nine days before being removed due to damage and signs of rejection, according to findings published Monday in Nature Medicine.
While pig-to-human transplants of kidneys and hearts have made headlines, lungs present a tougher challenge, as they're more likely to fail even in human-to-human procedures, per the New York Times. Lungs are especially vulnerable because they're constantly exposed to external elements and are packed with immune cells, making them prone to rejection and other complications. US experts called the transplant a promising step, but noted the patient's functioning right lung was left in place, which meant it was unclear if the pig lung alone could support life.
Additional issues, including early lung damage and fluid buildup, raised questions about the long-term viability of such transplants. However, brain death triggers an acute inflammatory state that may be responsible for some of the damage seen, an expert tells the Guardian. The organ transplant field has been focusing on genetically engineered pigs to help address critical shortages of donor organs. There have been some successes with transplanted pig kidneys and livers. But as one expert tells the Times, among all organs, lungs remain the most complicated to transplant successfully, whether from a pig or a human.
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