Medical Breakthrough: First-Ever Pig Lung Transplant into Brain-Dead Human, says study

In a medical breakthrough, Chinese scientists successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead man, marking the world’s first pig-to-human lung transplant. Conducted at Guangzhou Medical University in May 2024, the lung functioned effectively for nine days without any immediate rejection or infection. The donor lung came from a six-gene-edited pig designed to evade the human immune system, a major advance in the challenging field of lung xenotransplantation.

While encouraging, the procedure revealed complications such as fluid buildup and immune reactions, managed through advanced immunosuppressive drugs. Experts caution that lung xenotransplants are still far from clinical use in living patients, given the organ’s vulnerable exposure to environmental factors and complex immune defenses. This pioneering step offers hope for addressing global organ shortages, especially for lungs, where demand far outpaces supply. Researchers continue refining genetic modifications and treatment protocols, aiming to bring this life-saving technology closer to routine human transplants in the future.

Reference:

He, J., Shi, J., Yang, C. et al. Pig-to-human lung xenotransplantation into a brain-dead recipient. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03861-x