China's Ambitious Plan for Genetically Modified Pig Organ Transplants Raises Ethical Concerns

Strategic Insights -

China has been pushing the boundaries of science with its research on genetically modified pig organs for human transplantation, sparking concerns about ethics, animal welfare, and public health. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has invested heavily in this field, with gene editing-related startups in China receiving about 2 billion yuan ($310 million) in funding in 2020. Scientists, led by Yang Luhan, founder of Qihan Biotech, have made breakthroughs in xenotransplantation technology, creating genetically edited pigs with clinical potential. These pigs have been engineered to remove porcine endogenous retroviruses and enhance xenograft immunocompatibility.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chinese Communist Party has invested heavily in research on genetically modified pig organs for human transplantation, with gene editing-related startups in China receiving about 2 billion yuan ($310 million) in funding in 2020.
  • Scientists, led by Yang Luhan, have made breakthroughs in xenotransplantation technology, creating genetically edited pigs with clinical potential.
  • The engineered pigs have been engineered to remove porcine endogenous retroviruses and enhance xenograft immunocompatibility.
  • The commercialization of pig xenotransplantation faces ethical and regulatory challenges, including public acceptance, animal welfare, and public health risks.
  • China's lack of strict regulation and ethical review has created an opportunity for researchers to advance in this field, despite concerns about ethics and public health.
  • The FDA has approved genetically modified pigs for use in medical drugs, organ, and body tissue transplants, but emphasized that these pigs have not been evaluated for use as xenotransplantation products for transplantation or implantation into human subjects.
  • Clonorgan Biotechnology has established a genetically modified pigs trial site in Sichuan Province, with over 200 pigs with more than 10 kinds of genetic modifications.
  • The founder of Clonorgan Biotechnology, Pan Dengke, believes that this kind of scale and factory production of genetically modified pigs could ensure sufficient supply for xenotransplantation and lower the price compared to human organs.

Statistics:

  • 2 billion yuan ($310 million) in funding received by gene editing-related startups in China in 2020.
  • $38 million and $100 million in two rounds of funding received by eGenesis in 2017 and 2019.
  • $125 million received in a third investment round by eGenesis in March 2021.
  • Over 200 genetically modified pigs with more than 10 kinds of genetic modifications at Clonorgan Biotechnologys trial site.
  • 300,000-400,000 yuan ($47,000-62,000) cost of human organ transplants.
  • 32 days longest survival of an allogeneic kidney transplant using human clinical immunosuppressants in rhesus monkeys.

Sources:

  • Xinhua: "Chinese scientists make breakthrough in xenotransplantation technology in genetically edited pigs" (Sept. 22, 2020)
  • Nature Biomedical Engineering: "CRISPR-Cas9 knockout and transposon gene insertion technologies for immunological and blood-coagulation compatibility in genetically modified pigs" (Sept. 21, 2020)
  • Sichuan Daily: "Clonorgan Biotechnology establishes Chinas first genetically modified pigs trial site" (Sept. 15, 2020)
  • eGenesis: $38 million and $100 million funding rounds (2017 and 2019)
  • Legal Monitor Worldwide: "China's Ambitious Plan for Genetically Modified Pig Organ Transplants Raises Ethical Concerns" (2021)
  • FDA: Approval of GalSafe Pigs for use in medical drugs, organ, and body tissue transplants (Dec. 15, 2020)