![]() The biotechnology company that raised and engineered the pigs, Revivicor, declined to comment and has made no public statement about the virus. But because the special pigs raised to provide organs are supposed to be virus-free, it now appears that the experiment was compromised by an unforced error. The heart swap in Maryland was a major test of xenotransplantation, the process of moving tissues between species. More than 40,000 transplants - a record - were performed in 2021, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.“We are beginning to learn why he passed on,” said Griffith, who believes that the virus “maybe was the actor, or could be the actor, that set this whole thing off.” In October, surgeons successfully tested the transplant of a genetically modified pig kidney into a woman in New York who was brain-dead. Pig heart valves have been transplanted into humans for many years. More than 106,000 people are currently on the national transplant list, and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ, according to. The United States has a shortage of organs for transplants. I know it's a shot in the dark, but it's my last choice," Bennett had said, according to a previous news release from the medical center. "It was either die or do this transplant. He watched the Super Bowl with his physical therapist and spoke often about wanting to get home to his dog Lucky," the unviersity news release said.īefore the transplant, Bennett had said he knew it was "a shot in the dark." CTV News app sign-up: Breaking news alerts and top stories delivered right to youīennett "was able to spend time with his family and participate in physical therapy to help regain strength.The medical center said the transplanted heart performed well for several weeks without any sign of rejection. Six human genes responsible for immune acceptance were inserted. Three genes that are responsible for rejection of pig organs by human immune systems were removed from the donor pig, and one gene was taken out to prevent excessive pig heart tissue growth. Revivicor, a regenerative medicine company based in Virginia, had provided the heart. Bennett was deemed ineligible for a conventional heart transplant or an artificial heart pump after reviews of his medical records, and the pig heart was the only available option, the medical center said at the time. Bennett became known by millions of people around the world for his courage and steadfast will to live."īennett had terminal heart disease, and had received a transplant on January 7. Griffith, the surgeon who transplanted the pig heart at the University of Maryland Medical Center, said in a statement. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family," Dr. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. He was given palliative care and was able to communicate with his family during his final hours, according to the news release. A 57-year-old Maryland man who had received a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind transplant surgery has died, the University of Maryland Medical Center said Wednesday.ĭavid Bennett died on Tuesday after his condition began to deteriorate several days ago, the medical center said. ![]()
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