Nature Podcast Briefing Chat: 'External lungs' keep man alive for 48 hours until transplant
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Feb 6, 2026 Maren Huntsberger, senior multimedia producer at Nature, guides two striking stories. She explains an external artificial-lung system that kept a man alive for 48 hours until transplant. She also covers research showing lung tumours can hijack sensory neurons to dampen immune attacks. Short, vivid science reporting with clinical and neuroscience twists.
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Man Survives 48 Hours Without Lungs
- A man with ARDS survived 48 hours without lungs using an extracorporeal total artificial lung (TAL) system.
- His sepsis resolved and he recovered enough to receive a lung transplant and is healthy nearly three years later.
TAL Keeps Heart Functioning Without Lungs
- The TAL system can maintain proper heart pressure and blood flow without lungs in the body, unlike standard ECMO.
- Researchers designed the device to oxygenate and pump blood externally while modulating cardiac pressures automatically.
Removing Lungs Reversed Sepsis Fast
- Removing the diseased lungs immediately reversed the patient's sepsis and organ failure.
- External oxygenation allowed his organs to recover over 48 hours, enabling transplantation.