Key points from article :
When Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin joked about organ transplants as a route to immortality, they were likely indulging in light banter. Still, the exchange touches on a real and rapidly evolving area of medicine. Organ transplants already save countless lives—NHS Blood and Transplant estimates more than 100,000 people in the UK have benefited in the past three decades. Advances in surgery and medicine mean transplanted organs are lasting longer than ever, with some kidneys functioning well for over 50 years. Typical lifespans vary: a living-donor kidney can work for 20–25 years, a liver around 20 years, and lungs closer to 10.
The idea of multiple, repeated organ transplants as a ticket to extreme longevity, however, faces steep challenges. Each surgery carries serious risks, and recipients must take lifelong immunosuppressants to prevent rejection. These drugs weaken the immune system, increasing vulnerability to infections, and rejection can still occur despite careful management. This makes indefinite organ replacement an unlikely path to living to 150.
Researchers are working on innovative alternatives. One promising field is xenotransplantation—using organs from genetically modified pigs engineered with CRISPR to reduce the risk of rejection. Although still experimental, early heart and kidney transplants from pigs to humans have been attempted, helping to advance the science. Another avenue involves growing new organs from human stem cells. UK teams at UCL, the Francis Crick Institute, and Great Ormond Street Hospital have had early successes creating thymus tissue and intestinal grafts, moving closer to rejection-free, personalised organs.
Ultimately, while these breakthroughs may transform how we treat organ failure, they are designed to restore health rather than extend life indefinitely. Xi and Putin’s playful speculation highlights an enduring human fascination with immortality, but for now, science is firmly focused on saving lives—not rewriting the limits of human lifespan
