A shocking surprise in the investigation into the death of the man who transplanted a pig's heart
An investigation is still underway to determine the cause of death for the first person who underwent a genetically modified pig heart transplant.
However, the latest analyzes indicated that the heart was infected with a virus originating from the pig, according to what was revealed by the University of Maryland Medical Center, which performed the operation last January.
The center said in a statement carried by C.
that.
N: “A CMV, originating from pigs, was found during a specific, highly sensitive test.”
The statement added, "There is no evidence to suggest that the virus caused the infection that affected the patient, or that it affected any of the tissues or organs surrounding the heart," but it is added to the possible causes of death.
The donor pig had been subjected to "special disease testing several times" in line with US Food and Drug Administration protocols, including a test conducted before it was transferred to Maryland, and then before the transplant was performed several days later.
The medical center noted that the animal "was grown in a facility where methods are designed to prevent infection of donor animals with CMV and other potential pathogens."
David Bennett, who had a terminal heart disease that did not qualify him for a conventional heart transplant or an artificial heart pump, died two months after he was transplanted.
The transplant, the first of its kind, involved inserting and modifying some genes from the donor pig to prevent the human immune system from rejecting the organ.
A gene responsible for the growth of pig heart tissue was also excluded to limit this.
Before Bennett's death, the transplanted heart had been working fine for several weeks, with no signs of immune rejection.
The medical center indicated that it is working on developing advanced examination techniques to avoid facing such a situation in the future.
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