Chinese researchers have successfully treated a liver failure patient using a gene-edited pig liver connected to an external machine. The patient is stable and showing improved health indicators after the procedure.
A team led by Dou Kefeng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief physician at Xijing Hospital, achieved the world’s first treatment using this method. The research was done in collaboration with the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Tangdu Hospital, and Sichuan Clonorgan Biotechnology Co., according to a report in China Science Daily on Wednesday.
Liver failure has a high short-term death rate because donor organs are scarce. In China, about 200,000 patients are hospitalized each year with acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure.
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The team took a liver from a pig modified with six gene edits. They connected it to a machine that keeps organs warm and functioning outside the body. This setup was then linked to the patient’s bloodstream while the patient’s own liver remained in place.
The pig liver temporarily took over key jobs such as removing toxins, producing essential substances, and handling metabolism. During the 66-hour treatment, the pig liver worked well and produced bile. The patient’s liver function indicators, including bilirubin levels and enzyme activity, improved steadily.
After evaluating the results, the medical team decided the therapy had worked and stopped the support system. The patient remains in stable condition, with test results now close to normal levels.
Wang Lin, director of the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery at Xijing Hospital, told the Global Times that this approach could greatly expand treatment options. It acts as a bridge for patients waiting for a human liver transplant and may improve survival rates.
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The method uses a “gene-edited organ plus external life support” model. Unlike a full transplant, it does not remove the patient’s own organ. This offers a new way to use animal organs to support human patients temporarily.
The research is still in early stages and requires more study. However, it opens the door for using gene-edited pig livers to help liver failure patients when human donors are not available.
