David Bennett, who was the first human to receive a pig heart in a heart transplant has died after 2 months of the novel procedure.
The University of Maryland hospital that performed the surgical operation announced this on Wednesday.
According to the hospital, the 57 year old man died on Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The exact cause of his death was not revealed. The hospital only said his health condition started “deteriorating” several days earlier before his demise.
In a statement released by the University, Bennett’s son commended the hospital for its “innovative” and “historic” experiment, expressing hope that it would help further the course of finding solution to organ shortage.
“We are grateful for every innovative moment, every crazy dream, sleepless night that went into this historic effort.
“We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end,” David Bennett Jr said.
David Bennett Jr had told journalists that his father was aware there was no guarantee before undergoing the transplant on January 7.
Medical export for years have in one time or the other attempted to use animal organs for lifesaving transplants. This time it was David Bennett that became guinea pig for this latest attempt.
The heart used by Maryland hospital was a heart from a gene-edited pig — scientists had modified the animal to remove pig genes that trigger the hyper-fast rejection and add human genes to help the body accept the organ.
At first the pig heart was functioning, and the Maryland hospital issued periodic updates that Bennett seemed to be slowly recovering. Last month, the hospital released video of him watching the Super Bowl from his hospital bed while working with his physical therapist.
In 1984, a dying Baby Fae in California received xenotransplantation from baboon's heart, but lived 21 days with