Doctors connected a pig liver to a brain-dead person’s body and observed it effectively purifying blood, bringing them closer to potentially using the method in people suffering from liver failure.

On Thursday, the University of Pennsylvania revealed a unique experiment involving animal-to-human organ transplants. In this instance, the pig liver was utilized outside the donated body rather than inside, serving as a “bridge” to assist failing livers by performing blood-cleansing functions externally, similar to dialysis for failing kidneys.

Xenotransplants, which involve transplanting animal organs into humans, have been unsuccessful for many years due to the rejection of foreign tissue by the human immune system. However, researchers are now attempting a new approach by using pigs whose organs have been genetically altered to be more similar to human organs.

In the past few years, scientists have experimented with temporarily transplanting kidneys from genetically modified pigs into brain-dead donors to assess their effectiveness. Additionally, two men received heart transplants from pigs, but unfortunately, both passed away within a few months.

The FDA of the United States is deliberating on the possibility of permitting a select group of individuals in need of a new organ to participate in thorough investigations of pig hearts or kidneys.

Certain scientists are also investigating the potential use of pig livers in medical procedures. The liver has unique intricacies compared to other organs such as the kidneys and heart. It plays a crucial role in filtering blood, eliminating waste, and producing essential substances for various bodily processes. In the United States, there are approximately 10,000 individuals waiting for a liver transplant.

During the Penn experiment, scientists affixed a pig’s liver, which had been genetically altered by eGenesis, to a device created by OrganOx. This device is typically used to preserve human livers that have been donated for transplantation.

The family of the deceased individual, whose organs were not viable for donation, made the decision to donate the body for research purposes. Machines were used to maintain blood circulation in the body.

Last month, a team from Penn conducted an experiment in which blood was passed through a pig liver-device for 72 hours. In a statement, the team reported that the donor’s body remained stable and the pig liver did not sustain any damage.

Dr. Parsia Vagefi from UT Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the recent experiment but is closely monitoring xenotransplantation research, stated that there has been significant effort put into creating liver dialysis-like machines and conducting experiments using pig livers in the past. However, with the use of more advanced genetic techniques available today, these experiments have become more refined.

Vagefi commended them for their efforts in advancing this approach, stating that combining pigs and medical devices is an intriguing step towards improving care for liver failure.

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