For the first time, a pig lung was transplanted into a brain-dead man. What are the results of the experiment?

Doctors conducted an experiment for the first time where a genetically modified pig lung was transplanted into a 39-year-old man who was declared brain dead — the lung functioned for nine days.

This is stated in a new study in the journal Nature Medicine, CNN reports.

The man was given medication to reduce the risk of infection and rejection of the pig lung. The lung itself also received six gene modifications, and the donor pig was kept in a clean and sterile environment for its entire life.

The day after the transplant, the lung was not rejected, but later other problems appeared: fluid accumulated in the body and edema appeared. This was probably due to impaired blood flow in the body — the lungs not only help with breathing, but also affect blood circulation.

The patientʼs body began to reject the lung, despite partial recovery of its function a few days after the transplant. After that, at the request of the family, the experiment was terminated.

The study authors note that while pig lung transplantation is possible, there are still major concerns about rejection and the risk of infection, and more research is needed before the procedure can be replicated in clinical trials.

Experts say that successful pig lung transplants are still a long way off. Lungs are more difficult to transplant because they perform many functions: filtering blood, regulating temperature, participating in platelet production, pH balance, immune defense, and have metabolic and endocrine functions. Unlike kidneys or hearts, lungs are in contact with the external environment and its viruses and bacteria.

Researchers are also considering using a pig lung as a "framework", replacing pig cells with human stem cells — not quite a transplant, because the cells would be human, but the structure would be pig.

• Over the past 30 years, pig heart valves have been successfully transplanted into humans. Organ transplants are more difficult, but there have been some successes with genetically modified pig hearts and kidneys.
• There have also been experiments with pig liver transplants, but so far without significant success. The AP writes that the biggest success so far is a man in Massachusetts who is living with a transplanted pig kidney.
• The need for donor organs in the world is enormous. For example, in the United States, in 2023, the waiting list for all types of transplants was twice as long as the number of operations performed. Approximately 13 people die every day while waiting for a transplant.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.