For decades, scientists and physicians alike have been performing organ transplants as a way to save both people and animals lives. However, as science and medicine have improved, so too have translations. 

In late August, Chinese scientists reported that they successfully transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead human. This type of transplantation is called xenotransplantation, transplanting cells or organs from one species into another.

The researchers transplanted the left lung into a 39 year old man, who was declared brain-dead according to four different assessments, due to a brain hemorrhage. 

The scientists reported that the lung was viable for a total of nine days, and maintained proper function, preventing the lung from gaining any infections.

24-hours after the transplant, there were some signs of complications, as the lung began to accumulate fluid. This led to blood flow issues, further developing into widespread body swelling. Researchers also reported signs of the body starting to reject the organ, and on the ninth day, the patient’s family asked the researchers to remove the lung.

Scientists have been transplanting pig livers and kidneys into human patients, but this is the first time a pig lung has ever been transplanted into a human, mainly because of the difficulty.

Lungs have many important jobs, playing critical roles in blood filtration, temperature regulation, pH balance, and immune defense. In addition, lungs are exposed to outside air and elements. The combination of all of these things causes lung transplants, even human to human ones, to have a low success rate. 

The lungs themselves also had to go through gene-editing before they could be transplanted. Because pigs and humans are of different species, they have different genetic codes, so to ensure easier transplant, scientists genetically modified parts of the pigs lung. 

The world has a massive need for organ donors, and there are thousands of people that are stuck on waiting-lists for a donor. In worst case scenarios, some patients even die before they are able to receive their transplant. The demand shows the major importance of xenotransplantation research, as it can increase the number of available organs, and thus save many people’s lives. 

Researchers have great hope for the success of xenotransplantation, and across the world will continue to develop new experiments to improve the potentially life-saving process.