Chinese Doctors Successfully Transplant Pig Liver into Living Human

Darwin, 09 October-

Previous attempts to transplant pig liver into monkeys had failed

International Desk | Deshkal News
Published: Thursday, October 9, 2025, 16:45

China has achieved a groundbreaking medical milestone as doctors successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a living human for the first time in history. The procedure, performed at the Air Force Medical University in Xi’an, marks a new era in organ transplantation.

According to The New York Times, citing a report published in The Journal of Hepatology, the recipient was a 71-year-old brain-dead cancer patient. A portion of the genetically engineered pig liver was implanted into his body, where it functioned effectively for 38 consecutive days without any signs of immune rejection.

During the procedure, surgeons removed a large portion of the patient’s cancer-damaged liver and replaced it with the pig’s organ. The transplanted liver began performing essential physiological functions such as producing bile, generating clotting factors, and maintaining other vital processes.

The experiment aimed to allow the patient’s own liver to regenerate naturally, with the pig’s liver serving as a supportive organ. After 38 days, the transplanted liver was removed due to complications. The patient, who was already in critical condition, died five and a half months later.

Experts have hailed the achievement as a “revolutionary success” in medical science. Until now, all attempts to transplant pig livers into monkeys had failed. This success demonstrates that pig organs could potentially serve as temporary supportive organs in humans.

Lead researcher Dr. Beicheng Sun said, “Our goal was to use the transplanted pig liver to support the patient’s recovery. The organ could sustain patients until their own liver regenerates or a suitable human donor becomes available.”

China faces a severe shortage of organ donors, with hundreds of thousands of people suffering from advanced liver diseases each year. Medical experts believe this breakthrough could open a new chapter in organ transplantation and help save countless lives in the future.