According to the study, which was recently published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, the transplantation was performed in the city of Kanton (Guangzhou) in May last year. The recipient was a 39-year-old man who had been declared brain dead after a cerebral hemorrhage, and whose family had given their written consent to the procedure.
According to the researchers, the transplanted lung remained functional for nine days before the study was concluded. No signs of hyperacute rejection or infection occurred, but the lung began to show signs of fluid accumulation and damage a day after the transplantation.
Sandra Lindstedt, senior physician and professor of thoracic surgery and transplantation at Skåne University Hospital in Lund, tells Vetenskapsradion that it is "a big and important step", but emphasizes that a lung is a complicated organ to transplant.
I think that when it comes to lungs, we have a very long way to go before we can do this safely for our patients.
Even the researchers behind the study write that there are "significant challenges" with the method and that further studies are needed before the procedure can become relevant for clinical use.
