Asia's First Xenotransplanted Kidney Recipient Exceeds 30 Postoperative Days, Meets Discharge Criteria
Release time:
2025-04-11
On April 8 (Tuesday), Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University announced a major breakthrough in Asia’s first gene-edited pig kidney transplant for a patient with end-stage renal disease. The patient has maintained stable kidney function for 32 days post-surgery and met discharge standards. This achievement marks a milestone in China’s clinical research on xenotransplantation, offering new hope for patients with terminal kidney disease.
Overcoming Challenges: Stable Vital Signs
Under the guidance of Academician Dou Kefeng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Qin Weijun from the hospital’s urology department successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into the patient on March 6. The surgical team addressed critical hurdles unique to xenotransplantation—immune rejection, coagulation disorders, and pathogen risks—through three innovative strategies: precise immunosuppression, coagulation regulation, and infection control.
Post-surgery, the patient’s vital signs remained stable, with serum creatinine levels maintained between 66-110 μmol/L and 24-hour urine output stabilized at 1800-2600 ml. Continuous monitoring and tailored treatment adjustments ensured smooth recovery.
“This breakthrough demonstrates new clinical possibilities for treating end-stage renal disease and confirms the feasibility of xenotransplantation, providing critical theoretical and technical foundations for future applications,” stated Academician Dou Kefeng.
How Pig Organs Could "Cross Species" to Save Lives
Xenotransplantation—the transfer of organs across species—is seen as a promising solution to the global shortage of human donor organs. While primates like chimpanzees were initially tested as donors, their use proved impractical.
Pigs, however, offer distinct advantages: their organs are structurally and functionally similar to humans, pose lower zoonotic disease risks, and are cost-effective to breed. Yet two major barriers remain: porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) and hyperacute immune rejection.
Advances in gene-editing and immunology now enable scientists to delete risky genes in pigs and insert human genes, enhancing transplant compatibility and long-term survival prospects.
Recent breakthroughs in gene-edited pig organ transplants continue to drive progress. As this technology matures, it holds promise to address the global organ shortage crisis and usher in new hope for human health.
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