Chinese Researchers Transplant 3 Pig Organs Into 1 Human, Showing Function Within 19 Hours
Updated
Updated · en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br · Jun 7
Chinese Researchers Transplant 3 Pig Organs Into 1 Human, Showing Function Within 19 Hours
3 articles · Updated · en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br · Jun 7
Summary
A 53-year-old brain-dead man received two genetically modified pig kidneys and a whole pig liver in the first simultaneous three-organ xenotransplant reported in a human.
Within 19 hours, the liver was producing bile and kidney-related creatinine and urea levels normalized, showing early organ function under continuous monitoring.
After 36 hours, researchers detected rejection signs including liver necrosis, coagulation changes and inflammatory immune-cell activity, though the organs kept functioning until the test ended five days later.
Guangxi Medical University used organs from a pig with six genetic edits—three pig genes removed and three human genes added—to try to limit rejection.
The study, published in Med, marks a step toward easing organ shortages but researchers said far more work is needed before such transplants can be tried in living patients.
Pig organs now function in humans for days, but what is the key to stopping the body’s inevitable and fatal rejection?
As pig organ transplants near reality, what is the ethical price of creating animals specifically for harvesting?
China Achieves World’s First Multi-Organ Xenotransplant: Progress, Hurdles, and the Path Ahead
Overview
In late May 2026, Chinese researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University achieved a historic breakthrough by performing the world’s first multi-organ xenotransplant, transplanting both kidneys and a whole liver from a single genetically modified pig into a brain-dead human recipient. This complex procedure proved the technical feasibility of multi-organ xenotransplantation, a milestone recognized by international experts like Leonardo Riella, who highlighted its profound impact and potential. Building on this success, the team plans further studies in clinically dead individuals and living monkeys, marking a significant step forward in the quest to address the global organ shortage.