Surgeons in China have conducted a successful pig-to-human lung transplant which they say demonstrated the feasibility of the procedure – even if substantial further tests are still required.

According to scientists at the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the pig lung, which was transplanted into a brain-dead human recipient, "maintained viability and functionality" for 216 hours (nine days) without becoming infected or being rejected by its host.

What is xenotransplantation?

The transplantation of organs across species is known as xenotransplantation and has been touted as a potential solution to the global organ shortage crisis.

According to the Guangzhou study, advancements have recently been made in heart and kidney xenotransplantation from pigs to humans, but lungs present "distinct challenges" due to their "anatomical and physiological complexity."

Among other things, the direct contact of the lung with the outside air naturally increases the risk of infection.

But the genetically altered lung transplanted from the 22-month-old, 70-kilogram, male, Chinese Bama Xiang pig to the 39-year-old male human patient survived and functioned for over a week of monitoring.

"This study demonstrates that genetically modified pig lungs can maintain viability and functionality in brain-dead recipients for 216 hours without signs of hyperacute rejection or evidence of uncontrolled infection," concluded the researchers.

"This success highlights the progress made in genetic modifications and immunosuppressive strategies but also underscores key challenges that must be addressed for clinical translation."

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah