According to US media reports, on the 9th local time, the University of Maryland Medical Center in the United States said that David Bennett (David Bennett), the first patient in human history to receive a gene-edited pig heart, began to deteriorate a few days ago. Passed away about two months after his surgery.
“We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought to the end. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family.” University of Maryland Medical Center conducted a pig heart “Mr Bennett is known to millions around the world for his courage and tenacious will to live,” Dr. Griffiths, the transplant surgeon, said in a statement.
Bennett has a terminal heart condition and received a heart transplant on January 7. The medical center said at the time that after reviewing Bennett’s medical records, he was deemed ineligible for a routine heart transplant or artificial heart pump, with a pig heart being the only option available.
Virginia-based regenerative medicine company Revivicor provided the heart. Three genes that cause the human immune system to reject pig organs were removed from the donated pigs, a gene was also removed to prevent overgrowth of pig heart tissue, and six human genes that enable the immune system to tolerate foreign tissue were inserted.
The transplanted pig hearts performed well for several weeks without any signs of rejection, the medical center said. Bennett “was able to spend time with his family and attended physical therapy to help him recover. He watched the Super Bowl with his physical therapist and often talked about wanting to go home to see his dog.”
Before the transplant, Bennett said he knew it was “a last stand.” “Die or do this transplant. I want to live. It’s my last option,” Bennett said before the surgery.
There is a shortage of organs for transplants in the United States. According to the website organdonor.gov, more than 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant list, and 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ.
Pig heart valves have been transplanted into humans for many years. Last October, surgeons in the United States successfully transplanted the kidney of a genetically modified pig into a brain-dead woman.
(Editor: Sisi)
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