The first patient in the world to have received a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig has died two months after his operation, the hospital where he was treated announced on Wednesday March 9.
Read alsoIn the United States, the spectacular transplant of a pig's heart on a man
David Bennett, 57, died on Tuesday, after his condition "
began to deteriorate several days ago
," the University of Maryland Hospital said in a statement.
"
When it became clear that he would not recover, he was given palliative care
," he said.
“The heart worked very well for several weeks”
The operation, carried out on January 7, had raised great hopes, because such xenografts - from an animal to a human - could potentially make it possible to remedy the shortage of organ donations.
"
The heart functioned very well for several weeks, with no signs of rejection
," the hospital said.
After the operation, “
the patient was able to spend time with his family and participate in physiotherapy activities to help him regain his strength
”.
The researchers therefore consider the experiment a success.
“
We have obtained valuable information, and learned that a genetically modified pig's heart can function properly inside a human body,
” said Muhammad Mohiuddin, scientific director of the hospital's xenotransplantation program.
“
We remain optimistic and plan to continue our work in future clinical trials.
The pig from which the transplanted heart came had been genetically modified in order to avoid an immediate rejection, which indeed did not take place.
Read alsoThe kidney of a pig successfully transplanted into a human, a world first
Without this transplant, David Bennett was doomed.
“
It was either death or this transplant.
I want to live
,” he said the day before the operation.
"
Until the end, my father wanted to keep fighting to save his life and spend more time with his family
," his son, David Bennett Jr. said in a statement
. 'he was recovering from his surgery, weeks we wouldn't have had without this miraculous effort
.