中国团队领衔将基因编辑猪肺成功移植人体 存活9天并发挥功能

Core Insights - A research paper published in the journal Nature Medicine indicates that a genetically engineered pig lung can survive for 9 days and function after being transplanted into a human patient diagnosed with brain death, marking a potential breakthrough in cross-species lung transplantation [1][2] - The study highlights the challenges of lung transplantation due to its anatomical and physiological complexities compared to other solid organ transplants, but suggests that xenotransplantation could address the shortage of human transplant organs [1] Group 1 - The research team, led by Professor He Jianxing from Guangzhou Medical University, successfully transplanted the left lung of a genetically edited pig into a 39-year-old human patient [1] - The donor pig underwent CRISPR gene editing to remove antigens that could activate the human immune system, resulting in the transplanted lung not experiencing immediate rejection [2] - Despite the initial success, signs of lung injury were observed 24 hours post-transplant, with antibody-mediated rejection noted on days 3 and 6, indicating the need for further research [2] Group 2 - The study concludes that while this represents a significant first step in pig lung transplantation into humans, further improvements are necessary in genetic modifications of donor pigs and the development of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection and maintain long-term lung function [2]