A Chinese team has transplanted a pig’s kidneys and liver into a patient who had suffered brain death, a world first that could pave the way for multi-organ animal-to-human transplants.

After the operation, the organs functioned within the 53-year-old man for nearly five days before the study was ended in line with his family’s wishes.

Xenotransplantation, or the transplant of organs or tissues from one species to another, could help tackle global organ shortages that leave patients in limbo or worse.

“This study provides initial evidence for the feasibility of pig-to-human orthotopic whole liver plus bilateral kidney transplantation,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Med on May 29.

Orthotopic transplant means the placement of the organs in the correct anatomical position within the body after the old organs are removed.

The team, led by researchers from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, said their study also identified early immune and metabolic features that could inform future clinical practice.