In a landmark achievement for the field of cross-species organ transplantation commonly referred to as xenotransplanting, Chinese researchers have performed the world’s first transplant of a genetically modified pig lung into a human recipient. The procedure, conducted on a 39-year-old brain-dead man, represents both a significant step forward and a sobering reminder of the challenges that remain before xenotransplantation becomes a practical solution to the global organ shortage.
The Chinese Lung Transplant Experiment
The pioneering procedure took place on May 15, 2024, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. The recipient was a 39-year-old man who had been declared brain-dead following a brain hemorrhage. With consent from his family, doctors transplanted a left lung from a genetically modified Bama miniature pig into his body while leaving his right native lung in place.
The donor pig, created by Chengdu Clonorgan Biotechnology, had undergone six precise genetic edits using CRISPR technology. Three pig genes responsible for producing immune-system-triggering sugars were removed, while three human genes that regulate immune response and inflammation were added.
The transplanted lung remained in place for nine days before the experiment was terminated at the family’s request. During this period, researchers reported no signs of hyperacute rejection—the immediate and devastating immune response that typically destroys xenotransplants within hours. However, the organ faced significant challenges:
- 24 hours post-transplant: Widespread swelling developed as fluid built up in the tissues
- Days 3 and 6: Signs of antibody-mediated rejection appeared
- Day 9: Some partial recovery was observed, but the experiment ended
Despite these complications, researchers considered the experiment a success in demonstrating the feasibility of pig-to-human lung transplantation
Previous Xenotransplantation Milestones
| Year | Organ | Recipient Status | Survival Time | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Heart | Living patient (David Bennett) | ≈60 days | First pig heart in living human |
| 2023 | Heart | Living patient | 40 days | Second successful pig heart transplant |
| 2024 | Kidney | Living patient | 47 days | First pig kidney in living human |
| 2024 | Kidney | Living patient (Alabama woman) | Still functioning (as of Feb 2025) | Most successful case to date |
| 2024 | Liver | Brain-dead recipient | Experimental period | First pig liver transplant attempt |
| 2025 | Lung | Brain-dead recipient | 9 days | First pig lung transplant |
The most successful case to date involves an Alabama woman who received a pig kidney at New York University Langone Transplant Institute in November 2024. She was discharged from the hospital in February 2025, representing the longest survival period for a xenotransplant recipient to date
A Cautiously Optimistic Future
The recent lung transplant experiment represents both a remarkable technical achievement and a humbling reminder of the biological challenges ahead. As Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, a professor of thoracic surgery at the University of Toronto, noted: “It’s not ready for prime time… Importantly, they’ve shown us we’re not there yet; don’t go trying this on a patient because it ain’t going to work”13.
Yet the field continues to advance at a remarkable pace. From the first pig heart transplant in a living human in 2022 to the first FDA-approved clinical trials in 2025, xenotransplantation has progressed from science fiction to tangible reality in just a few years.
As researchers address the remaining scientific hurdles and society grapples with the ethical questions, xenotransplantation offers hope that someday soon, the tragic shortage of human organs might be solved through carefully engineered animal alternatives710.
For the thousands of patients currently on transplant waiting lists, and for the many more who will join them in the coming years, that promise represents a medical revolution in the making.