China performs first ever combined transplant of pig liver and kidney to human

AI Summary

A Chinese medical team performed the first combined transplant of pig liver and kidney into a human patient who had suffered brain death. The transplanted organs functioned for nearly five days, marking a groundbreaking step in xenotransplantation and potential solutions to organ shortages.

A Chinese team has transplanted a pig’s kidneys and liver into a patient who had suffered brain death, a world first which may pave the way for multi-organ animal-to-human transplants. After the operation, the organs functioned within the 53-year-old man for nearly five days before the study was ended per his family’s wishes. Xenotransplantation, or the transplant of organs or tissues from one species to another, could help tackle global organ shortages that leave patients in limbo or...