@dailymailau A pig's liver has been transplanted into a living human for the first time, marking a "landmark" in animal-to-human organ transplants. Previously, a genetically modified pig liver was transplanted into a clinically dead patient to reduce rejection risk. Now, Chinese scientists have implanted such a liver into a living 71-year-old man with liver cancer and end-stage liver disease, who was ineligible for a standard transplant. The liver functioned well for the first month without rejection. However, on day 38, it was removed due to a severe immune reaction that damaged blood vessel linings. Though initially managed with medication and blood filtration, the patient later suffered gastrointestinal bleeding and died on day 171. Dr Beicheng Sun, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, said: “This case proves that a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period.” #medicine #surgery #fyp #australia #dailymail ♬ news background music(1413938) - poco poco music

🫀 Biology Meets New Possibility

Just as “脆弱的女人” by Cacien reveals the quiet strength hidden inside vulnerability, the first successful connection of a pig liver to a living human mirrors that same paradox — showing how medicine, like the song’s heroine, transforms fragility into resilience by daring to survive what once seemed impossible.

🎶 🐖🧬🩺🔬⚙️🧫✨🧩🌍📊🫀🚀🏥📡🔎 🔊 脆弱的女人 - Cacien

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Chinese surgeons have completed the world’s first auxiliary pig‑to‑human liver transplant in a living patient, marking a breakthrough in xenotransplantation research.

The operation offers early proof that genetically engineered pig organs may one day support — or even replace — failing human livers.

🏥 The Historic Operation

In May 2024, a surgical team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University in Hefei performed a pioneering procedure: implanting a genetically engineered pig liver into a 71‑year‑old man suffering from advanced liver disease and ineligible for a human transplant. The organ came from a Diannan miniature pig modified with ten gene edits to reduce immune rejection and improve compatibility. For the medical team, this was not just an operation — it was a test of whether a pig liver could function inside a living human body for a meaningful period.

🧬 A Living Auxiliary Organ

The pig liver was transplanted as an auxiliary organ, meaning it worked alongside the patient’s own failing liver rather than replacing it entirely. Within hours, the graft began producing bile and synthesizing essential proteins, demonstrating that the genetic modifications were effective. For more than a month, the organ showed no signs of hyperacute or acute rejection, a milestone that researchers have long considered one of xenotransplantation’s greatest barriers.

🩺 A Critical Complication

On day 38, the team detected a complication known as xenotransplantation‑associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA), a clotting disorder linked to immune activation. Surgeons removed the auxiliary liver to prevent further damage, and treatment with complement inhibitors successfully resolved the condition. Despite the setback, the case provided unprecedented real‑time data on how a pig liver behaves inside a human body — data that had never before been available.

🌍 A New Path for Organ Shortages

The patient ultimately survived 171 days after the operation, a duration that researchers say demonstrates the feasibility of using genetically engineered pig livers as temporary “bridge” organs for patients awaiting human transplants. With hundreds of thousands of people in China alone facing liver failure each year and only a fraction receiving donor organs, the implications are profound. This case suggests that xenotransplantation could one day ease the global organ shortage.

🚀 A Turning Point for Xenotransplantation

While challenges remain — including immune complications and long‑term graft stability — the operation marks a turning point in the field. It shows that a pig liver can support human life long enough to matter clinically, offering a glimpse of a future where engineered organs help patients survive until a human donor becomes available. For now, the Hefei team’s achievement stands as a symbol of medical audacity and a reminder that innovation often begins with a single, daring leap.

#Xenotransplantation 🧬 #MedicalBreakthrough 🚀 #OrganInnovation 🫀 #FutureOfMedicine 🔬 #LifeSavingScience 🌍