Can Organ Transplants Make Humans Live Longer? Experts Weigh In
The idea of immortality through organ transplants recently made headlines after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin joked about it during a military parade in Beijing. A translator reportedly conveyed Putin’s remark that human organs could potentially be transplanted repeatedly, allowing a person to “get younger and younger” and perhaps live up to 150 years.
While their conversation may have been lighthearted, it raises interesting questions about the limits of modern medicine and longevity.
How Long Can Transplanted Organs Last?
Organ transplants save countless lives worldwide. In the UK alone, NHS Blood and Transplant estimates that over 100,000 lives have been saved in the last 30 years. With advances in medicine and surgical techniques, transplanted organs are also lasting longer than ever before.
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Kidneys: A kidney from a living donor can last 20–25 years, while one from a deceased donor typically lasts 15–20 years. Some patients have had functioning kidneys for over 50 years.
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Livers: Around 20 years on average.
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Hearts: Approximately 15 years.
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Lungs: Nearly 10 years.
The longevity of a transplant depends on the health of both donor and recipient, as well as ongoing care.
The Risks of Multiple Transplants
While the notion of repeated organ replacement may sound like a ticket to eternal youth, surgery carries significant risks. Each operation involves potential complications, including infections and surgical trauma.
Patients also must take lifelong immunosuppressant drugs to prevent organ rejection. These medications can increase blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and raise the risk of infections. Even with these drugs, rejection can still occur.
Cutting-Edge Research: Tailor-Made Organs
Scientists are exploring ways to overcome organ rejection using genetically modified pigs. Through gene-editing tools like CRISPR, researchers remove certain pig genes and introduce human genes, making organs more compatible for transplantation.
Some experimental surgeries using these organs, such as heart and kidney transplants, have already taken place. Although the recipients of these pioneering operations have passed away, their procedures paved the way for xenotransplantation—the transfer of organs between species.
Another exciting avenue is growing human organs using stem cells. Stem cells can develop into any cell type in the body, and researchers have successfully created lab-grown human thymus and intestinal tissue for testing. While these advances aim to treat disease rather than extend lifespan dramatically, they represent a step toward personalized organ replacement in the future.
Longevity Experiments and the Limits of Life
Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has experimented with methods to reduce biological aging, including plasma infusions from his teenage son, though the results were minimal and ultimately abandoned due to regulatory scrutiny.
Experts caution that even the most advanced interventions are unlikely to drastically extend human lifespan.
Dr. Julian Mutz from King’s College London explains:
"While approaches like organ transplants and plasma replacement are scientifically interesting, their impact on maximum human lifespan remains uncertain."
Prof. Neil Mabbott from the University of Edinburgh adds that 125 years may represent the upper limit of human life. Even with organ replacement, older bodies become less resilient, respond more slowly to infection, and face increased risks from surgery and medications.
Focus on Healthy Longevity
Rather than pursuing extreme life extension, experts suggest prioritizing healthy years. Prof. Mabbott emphasizes:
"Living longer but constantly dealing with surgeries, hospital stays, and complications from aging organs isn’t an ideal way to spend one’s later years. Quality of life should take precedence over quantity."
While the dream of living to 150 with repeated organ transplants captures the imagination, current science points to enhancing healthspan—not chasing immortality—as the most practical approach.