A world-first case has emerged where genetically edited pig lungs were transplanted into a human and maintained function for nine days. This marks the first time an organ has functioned in a cross-species (xenogeneic) lung transplant without acute rejection.
Dr. He Zhenxing and his research team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, in collaboration with researchers from Korea, Japan, and the United States, confirmed that the left lung from a genetically edited pig was successfully transplanted into a brain-dead patient and functioned for nine days, as announced in the International journal 'Nature Medicine' on the 26th (local time). In Korea, Professor Jeon Gyeong-man from Samsung Seoul Hospital participated.
The research team used a 'Chinese Bama Xiang' breed pig, from which three xenogeneic antigen genes (GGTA1, B4GALNT2, CMAH) were removed using CRISPR gene editing technology, while three human genes (CD55, CD46, TBM) that suppress human immune responses were inserted. The left lung of the genetically modified pig was transplanted into a 39-year-old man who had been declared brain-dead due to a brain hemorrhage, and the team monitored the functionality and immune response for nine days.
As a result, the transplanted pig lung maintained functionality for a total of 216 hours without immediate acute rejection or signs of infection. However, swelling of the lung was observed 24 hours after surgery, which the researchers suspect was damage caused by the process of blood flow being cut off and then restored. On days three and six post-surgery, the patient's antibodies reacted by attacking the pig lung, but some recovery was noted by the ninth day.
Xenogeneic organ transplantation has been highlighted as an alternative to resolve the chronic shortage of transplantable organs. So far, kidney, heart, and liver transplants from genetically edited pigs have been successfully attempted in brain-dead patients, but due to anatomical and physiological complexities, lung transplantation has been regarded as particularly challenging.
The research team noted, "This is the first case where lungs have been successfully transplanted from pigs to humans and maintained functionality," adding that "further refinement of gene editing, optimization of immune suppression strategies, and additional animal experiments are necessary before clinical applications."
References
Nature Medicine (2025), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03861-x