It is a disease that advances silently and already affects one in three adults, many of whom will eventually need a transplant. There are an increasing number of people worldwide with hepatic steatosis, popularly known as fatty liver disease. This condition, in Western and Middle Eastern countries, is closely linked to sedentary lifestyles and the consumption of alcohol and ultra-processed foods. Its consequences can be very serious: it can cause liver dysfunction and lead to liver fibrosis, which promotes the development of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, as well as cancer and cirrhosis.

The first documented interspecies transplant (xenotransplant) in the world dates back 120 years, but it wasn't until a few decades ago that it was seriously tested to become a therapeutic option for humans. Pigs are the most commonly used animal to test the procedure, among other reasons, so that their organs are similar in size to those of humans. Until now They have been made from heart and kidney, but it is one of the most complex medical procedures in existence and the current survival rate is really low. But the scientific community does not stop: a team of researchers from China has made the first genetically modified pig liver graft, with six altered genes to prevent rejection, in a brain-dead person. The procedure was performed last year, and this Wednesday the journal Nature has published its evaluation. To put it simply, the review confirms that the human body did not reject the organ and that it survived and functioned virtually normally for 10 days after surgery.