Diagram of treatment of liver failure patients using extracorporeal perfusion with six gene-edited pig livers Photo: Screenshot of Xijing Hospital WeChat account

Chinese researchers have become the first in the world to successfully treat liver failure patients using extracorporeal perfusion with six gene-edited pig livers, preliminary confirming the safety and efficacy of the technique and providing a new strategy for clinical treatment of end-stage liver disease, including bridging therapy before liver transplantation, China Science Daily reported on Wednesday.

The treatment was carried out jointly by a medical team led by Do Kefeng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of hepatobiliary surgery at Xijing Hospital, and Tangdu Hospital attached to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Medical University. According to China Science Daily, more than 20 faculties at the university participated in the cross-disciplinary effort that led to the breakthrough.

According to the report, the research team obtained livers from pigs with six gene-edited genes and connected them to a normothermic mechanical perfusion device, forming a reciprocal circulation system consisting of xenogeneic pig livers and in vitro human livers.

While the system was connected to a patient who went from acute liver failure to chronic liver failure, the pig’s liver temporarily took over major detoxification, synthesis, and metabolic functions, while the patient’s own liver remained in place. Unlike traditional transplants, the procedure uses an extracorporeal life support approach, the report said.

The paper said that during the treatment, perfusion and bile secretion of the pig’s liver were good, and the perfusion device was working normally. After 66 hours of continuous treatment, important liver function indicators such as bilirubin levels, transaminases, and prothrombin activity showed sustained and significant improvement. After evaluation, the medical team concluded that the treatment was effective and disconnected him from his support system.

The patient’s condition is stable, and physiological and biochemical indicators are close to normal levels.

This model combining “gene-edited organs and extracorporeal life support” pioneers a new approach to xenoorgan applications, providing support for organ function without removing a patient’s native organs, China Science Daily reported.

According to Dou, the preliminary success of this technology marks a new milestone in xenotransplantation, China Science Daily reported.

Global Times