In a move that feels straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster, a team from the Chinese mainland just hit a major milestone in medical history: they’ve transplanted a gene-edited pig lung into a human body! 🐷🫁
Led by Professor He Jianxing at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, this landmark procedure used the left lung of a gene-edited Bama miniature pig in a brain-dead recipient. Thanks to six carefully chosen gene tweaks, the new organ breathed and exchanged gases smoothly for nine days—with zero signs of immediate rejection or infection. 🚀✨
“As global demand for organ transplants keeps rising, xenotransplantation could be the game-changer we need,” says Professor He. This world-first step in lung xenotransplantation opens fresh doors for battling the chronic donor organ shortage.
This breakthrough follows last year’s world-first gene-edited pig liver transplant into a living person on the Chinese mainland, reaffirming the Chinese mainland’s pioneering role in this daring field. 🌟
But the team isn’t stopping there. Next up: fine-tuning their gene-editing methods and anti-rejection strategies to extend the lung’s lifespan. They’re also testing a cool “tubeless” tech—no more bulky ventilation tubes—to protect those delicate air sacs and boost patient outcomes in future trials.
From kidneys to hearts and livers, animal-to-human transplants have long been medical’s wild frontier. Yet lungs, with their delicate structure and constant exposure to the outside world, pose unique challenges. Pulling this off marks a giant leap toward making xenotransplantation a real solution for patients everywhere. 🌍💉
With ethical approvals and strict oversight in place, this trial shows what’s possible when innovation and responsibility go hand in hand. Stay tuned as researchers push the boundaries to bring more life-saving organs from lab to the operating room! 💡🔬
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World's first gene-edited pig lung transplanted into human body
cgtn.com
