Surgeons transplant pig lung into brain dead human recipient for first time

Genetically modified lung functioned for nine days, in latest development in xenotransplantation aimed at solving organ shortage crisis

Surgeons have transplanted a lung from a genetically modified pig into a brain dead human recipient for the first time and found it functioned for nine days, researchers have revealed.

The work is the latest development in a technique called xenotransplantation that is aimed at solving the organ shortage crisis: according to the World Health Organization, only up to 10% of the global need for such transplants is being met.