Key facts
- A Chinese medical team conducted the world's first combined transplant of a pig's liver and kidneys into a human.
- The recipient was a 53-year-old man declared brain dead.
- The transplanted organs functioned for approximately five days.
- The procedure is a significant step in xenotransplantation research.
A Chinese medical team has achieved a world first by transplanting a pig's kidneys and liver into a human patient who had been declared brain dead. The organs functioned successfully for nearly five days following the procedure. This advancement in xenotransplantation, the transfer of organs or tissues between species, could offer a potential solution to the critical global shortage of human organs available for transplant. The study was concluded according to the wishes of the patient's family.