First Multi-Organ Transplant from Pigs to a Brain-Dead Human Patient
首次將多器官由豬移植至腦死患者身上
Introduction
Researchers in China have successfully performed the first simultaneous transplantation of a gene-edited pig liver and two kidneys into a brain-dead patient.
中國研究人員已成功將基因編輯的豬肝與兩個腎臟，同時移植至一名腦死患者體內。
Main Body
The procedure was led by Professor Dou Kefeng and a team from the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Guangxi Medical University. The patient, a 53-year-old man, received the pig organs in their correct anatomical positions. To reduce the risk of immediate organ rejection and blood clotting problems, the donor pig liver was genetically modified. Specifically, scientists removed three pig genes and added three human genes to make the organ more compatible.
此次手術由廣西醫科大學第一與第二附屬醫院的竇可峰教授及其團隊領導。該名53歲的男性患者將豬臟器安置在正確的解剖位置。為了降低器官立即排斥與血栓問題的風險，捐贈的豬肝經過了基因改造。具體而言，科學家剔除了三個豬基因並加入了三個人類基因，以提高器官的兼容性。
In terms of results, the transplanted organs remained stable and functioned for about five days. The liver produced bile and showed human-like metabolic activity, while the kidneys produced urine and normalized waste levels in the blood. The researchers emphasized that operating multiple animal organs at once is possible, although the trial ended early because of the patient's family's wishes.
在結果方面，移植的器官保持穩定並運作了約五天。肝臟產生了膽汁並顯示出類人的代謝活動，而腎臟則產生了尿液並使血液中的廢物水平正常化。研究人員強調，一次性手術多個動物器官是可行的，儘管該試驗因患者家屬的意願而提前結束。
Furthermore, the institution explained that pigs are preferred over monkeys because their organs are a similar size to humans and they have similar metabolism. However, the team noted that before this can be used in living patients, they must first solve problems regarding long-term immune compatibility and the risk of spreading animal diseases to humans.
此外，該機構解釋，與猴子相比，豬是更理想的選擇，因為其器官大小與人類相近且代謝相似。然而，團隊指出，在應用於生存患者之前，必須先解決長期免疫兼容性以及動物疾病傳播至人類的風險問題。
Conclusion
The study provides early evidence that multi-organ transplants from animals are possible, although their long-term effectiveness has not yet been proven.
該研究提供了初步證據，證明動物多器官移植是可行的，儘管其長期有效性尚未得到證實。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'B2 Jump': From Simple Words to Professional Links
At the A2 level, you usually connect ideas with and, but, or because. To reach B2, you need to use Logical Connectors that guide the reader through your argument. Look at how this medical text moves from one idea to the next:
🔗 The 'Bridge' Words Found in the Text
| A2 Level (Simple) | B2 Level (Advanced) | Why it's better? |
|---|---|---|
| Also | Furthermore | It signals that you are adding a stronger or more formal point. |
| So / Then | Specifically | It tells the reader: "Stop! I am now giving you the exact details." |
| But | However | It creates a sophisticated pause before presenting a contrast. |
| In the end | In terms of | Instead of just ending, it categorizes the information (e.g., In terms of results). |
🛠️ Applying the Logic
If an A2 student describes this surgery, they might say:
"The organs worked. But there are still problems. And pigs are good because they are big."
A B2 student transforms this using the 'B2 Bridge':
"The organs functioned for five days; however, long-term compatibility remains a problem. Furthermore, pigs are preferred because their size is similar to humans."
💡 Pro Tip for Fluency
To move toward B2, stop starting your sentences with "And" or "But." Replace them with Furthermore and However. This immediately changes how a native speaker perceives your level of English—it moves you from "basic conversation" to "academic competence."