Overview

• Surgeons at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University implanted a left lung from a six‑gene‑edited Bama Xiang pig into a consented 39‑year‑old man who had been declared brain-dead.
• The graft avoided hyperacute rejection and infection initially, then developed pulmonary edema at 24 hours with antibody‑mediated rejection documented on days three and six.
• Researchers reported partial improvement by day nine, but the study was ended at the family’s request and the recipient was allowed to pass away.
• The donor pig had three genes knocked out and three human genes inserted, was raised under strict biosecure conditions, and the recipient received intensive immunosuppression.
• Independent experts say lungs pose unique challenges compared with kidneys or hearts, and call for further work on genetic edits, drug regimens and preservation before any clinical trials.