Scientists perform the first pig-to-human lung transplant

August 25, 2025

X-ray of a torso

(Science News) – Scientists have, for the first time, transplanted a genetically engineered pig lung into a human.

The lung tissue remained alive for nine days after the transplant despite early signs of inflammation, researchers report August 25 in Nature Medicine. The procedure was performed on a person who had been declared brain-dead, and it isn’t ready for clinical use yet. But it could help scientists understand and address the immune system’s response to a cross-species lung transplant. (Read More)