In one of the most significant breakthroughs in organ transplantation, a 71-year-old man with liver disease caused by hepatitis B and liver cancer survived for 171 days with a genetically modified pig liver. The patient could not receive a human liver or undergo traditional surgery, making the xenotransplant his only option.
The pig liver performed essential functions throughout, including producing bile, filtering toxins, and synthesizing proteins. This milestone demonstrated that cross-species organ transplants could one day help address the critical shortage of donor organs worldwide.
“The patient could not receive a human liver or undergo traditional surgery, making the xenotransplant his only option.”
More than 100,000 people are on organ transplant waiting lists in the United States alone, and thousands die each year waiting. Xenotransplantation research continues to advance rapidly, offering hope to patients who currently have no alternatives.
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