Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Chinese researchers successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a brain-dead person, where it functioned for 10 days. This is a milestone case for the transplant of animal organs into humans.
The study ended on March 20 according to the wishes of the recipient’s family. The transplant was conducted by Dou Kefeng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a team led by Tao Kaishan, a doctor with Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Medical University.
The transplant recipient had been certified as brain-dead in three evaluations. The patient’s family agreed to participate in the research to contribute to medical advancement.
“This is the first time in the medical field that a genetically modified pig liver has been transplanted into a human body,” Dou said. “We observed that the liver functioned well in the human body.”
He noted that this study was important for the many people with liver disease, who often face a severe shortage of livers for transplant.
