A 71-year-old man from Anhui, China, lived for more than 170 days after doctors implanted a genetically engineered pig liver into his body, marking the longest survival ever recorded for such a transplant. The man suffered from cirrhosis and severe liver disease caused by hepatitis B, for which no effective treatment existed.
Doctors said the pig liver initially worked well, producing bile and performing essential metabolic functions. However, they removed the graft on day 38 due to transplant-related complications. Despite this, the patient lived for around 171 days with medical support before passing away from internal bleeding.
Dr Beicheng Sun, who led the medical team at Anhui Medical University, said the case demonstrates both the potential and challenges of xenotransplantation—using organs from one species in another. “Everyone says the liver is too complex to transplant, but this may change thinking in the future,” he said.
Experts see this as a major step toward solving the global organ shortage. Pigs are the most promising donors because of their organ size, similarities to humans, and gene-editing possibilities. While earlier pig organ transplants, like hearts and kidneys, showed limited survival, this liver case offers cautious optimism for the future of medical science.
