A man in the United States gets a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind procedure.
According to a news release issued by the University of Maryland Medicine on Monday, the 57-year-old man is doing well three days following the operation.
The Maryland guy was suffering from a fatal heart illness. The pig heart was “the only currently available option” for the patient, David Bennett, according to the announcement.
He was ineligible for an artificial heart pump or a traditional heart transplant after reviewing his medical data.
The transplant was the final hope of saving Mr. Bennett’s life. But it is not yet clear what his long-term chances of survival are.
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 operation received emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on December 31.
The doctors removed three genes from the pig. They are responsible for pig organ rejection by human immune systems to make it function.
Then, they removed another gene to prevent excessive pig heart tissue growth. Not only that but the doctors also added six human genes involved in immune system acceptance.
The doctors will keep an eye on him for a while to see if the transplant is successful.