One of the first genetically modified pig hearts has been transplanted into a man in the US. In a news release on Monday, the University of Maryland Medicine announced that the 57-year-old man is doing well three days after the surgery.
The man, who is from Maryland, had a terminal heart condition. The release stated that the pig heart was ‘the only option currently available’ to David Bennett. Based on his medical records, he is not eligible for either an artificial heart pump or a conventional heart transplant. Before the surgery, Bennett said, ‘It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice’.
The US Food and Drug Administration had approved the operation as an emergency on December 31. It was made possible by removing three genes from pigs that were responsible for pig organ rejection by human immune systems. One gene also prevented excessive heart tissue growth in pigs. In addition, six genes involved in the acceptance of the immune system have been added. For a while, his doctors will monitor him to see if the transplant works.
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