Development of organ transplantation in China and organ donation

This article provides a concise overview of the development of organ transplantation in China. Inspired by international advancements in organ transplantation,China embarked on its own organ transplantation research journey in 1958.The clinical evaluation phase is marked by the first cadaveric kidney transplant in 1960 and the first living-donor kidney transplant in 1972.By 1989,the annual number of successful kidney transplants had surpassed 1000.However,57 liver transplants were performed between 1977 and 1983;limitations in technology and the scarcity of cyclosporine A resulted in unfavorable outcomes for most recipients,with the majority succumbing within 3 months of surgery.These factors led to a near-complete halt in liver,heart,and lung transplants for the following decade.With all 4 conditions met—(1) mature surgical techniques,(2) powerful immunosuppressive agents available for clinical use,(3) new organ preservation solutions that ensure the quality and transportation of donor organs,and(4) reasonable and legal sources of organs—China's organ transplantation field has experienced rapid development.In 2014,there were 9652 organ transplants,and this number grew to 20,225 by 2022.Despite the progress,China's organ donation rate per million remains relatively low,3.86 ranking 48th globally in 2022,underscoring the need for increased public awareness and support for organ donation.