Surgeons in China have successfully transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient. Doctors are considering it a significant achievement in the field of xenotransplantation. Researchers have revealed that surgeons have for the first time transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient and found that it continued to function for nine days.

Surgeons in China have successfully transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient. Doctors are considering it a significant achievement in the field of xenotransplantation. Researchers have revealed that surgeons have for the first time transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient and found that it continued to function for nine days.

It has been described in detail in the journal Nature Medicine. At the same time, it is now considered a minor but promising step towards using genetics.

The operation, performed in May 2024 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, involved replacing the left lung of a 39-year-old man who had suffered a severe brain hemorrhage.

The pig lung, which was genetically modified to increase its compatibility with human tissue, continued to function in a human for nine days. During this period, the organ effectively exchanged oxygen and carbon dioxide, demonstrating its ability to perform its primary function.