Revolutionary Pig Liver Transplant Experiment at University of Pennsylvania Shows Promise.

In an unprecedented medical experiment, a team at the University of Pennsylvania, led by veteran surgeon Abraham Shaked, has successfully conducted an extracorporeal (outside-the-body) liver transplant using a pig liver. This groundbreaking procedure, announced by the University and biotech company eGenesis, signifies a major leap in organ transplant technology.

The experiment involved connecting the veins of a brain-dead man to a refrigerator-size machine housing a genetically modified pig liver. Over three days, the man's blood circulated through the pig liver, demonstrating the potential of this technology to support patients with acute liver failure. Such failures can result from various causes, including infection, poisoning, or alcohol overconsumption, where a damaged liver cannot effectively remove toxins or process nutrients.

This pioneering effort is part of ongoing research into using organs from genetically engineered pigs to be more compatible with human tissues. The liver test in Philadelphia follows earlier studies, such as heart transplants using pig hearts at the University of Maryland. However, unlike direct organ transplants, an extracorporeal liver can avoid complex issues of long-term rejection as it is only needed temporarily.

The genetically modified liver, sourced from a Yucatan minipig, remained healthy throughout the three-day trial. This approach is seen as particularly viable for pig livers, which, if transplanted directly into humans, could provoke immune reactions due to the production of pig-specific proteins and molecules.

The University of Pennsylvania experiment represents not just a potential life-saving technology for those with liver failure but also a critical step towards broader use of animal organs in human medicine. The success of this trial could pave the way for more extensive use of genetically modified pig organs in extracorporeal applications, offering hope to countless patients on transplant waiting lists and challenging the frontiers of medical science.