The heart of the man who received a genetically engineered organ from a pig had a swine virus, porcine cytomegalovirussaid the doctor who performed the transplant, unprecedented in the world.
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David Bennett, 57, died last March and the presence of the virus may have contributed to his death, according to Bartley Griffith, a transplant surgeon at the University of Maryland.
The information was originally released by MIT Technology Review and was presented to the scientific community on April 20 during an event in the United States.
“We are beginning to understand why he died,” the doctor said.
Revovicor, the regenerative medicine company that performed the procedure, declined to comment.
“Either die or have that transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a long road, but it’s my last option,” Bennett said the day before the surgery. The patient spent the months prior to the procedure in bed and on a life support machine.
(VIDEO: Remember the first pig heart transplant in the US.)
Remember the first pig heart transplant in the United States
The donor pig belonged to a herd that had undergone genetic modification. The procedure aimed to remove a gene that could trigger a strong immune response in humans and thus lead to organ rejection.
The modification was carried out by biotech company Revivicor, which also supplied the pig used in a groundbreaking kidney transplant on a braindead patient in New York in October 2021.
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The donated organ remained in a preservation machine before surgery, and the team also used a new drug, an experimental compound, along with other conventional substances to suppress the immune system and prevent heart rejection.
At present, pig heart valves are already widely used in humans, and pig skin is transplanted to people who have suffered burns. They make ideal donor pets because of their size, rapid growth, large litters, and the fact that they are readily available and bred for food.