David Bennett lived with the heart of a genetically modified pig for two months before dying of unknown causes.
David Bennett, the first man to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig, died earlier this month. 57-year-old Bennett survived for two months with the heart transplant until finally passing on.
Bennett was terminally ill and fully aware of the risk, knowing that such an experimental treatment was a long shot at best. A special dispensation had been given to the University of Maryland Medical Center physicians in order to conduct the surgery. This was due to Bennett not having met eligibility for the treatment, who had already been bedridden for weeks and had no other shot at living.
On Jan. 7 the surgery was conducted, giving Bennett the chance to spend more time with his family doing activities such as watching the Super Bowl. As time passed, however, Bennett’s condition deteriorated more and more. His death was considered a tragedy for his family and doctors alike.
According to Bennett’s surgeon, Bartley Griffith, everyone was “devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end.” Griffith has gone on the record previously stating that this surgery brings us “one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis.” While using pig heart valves has been a common practice at this point with success, a genetically modified heart as a transplant for a human heart was never before attempted.
Other xenotransplantations, cross-species transplants, have also been done, mainly with pig organs. Back in Oct. 2021, a braindead patient with no chance of survival was given a modified pig kidney.
There were 10 modifications conducted on the pig heart prior to Bennett’s surgery, which successfully prevented hyperacute rejection based on the body seeing the tissue of the heart as foreign. If hyperacute rejection occurs, then the body will immediately begin to kill the foreign tissue. This is the most common and largest barrier of effective xenotransplantations.
The impact of Bennett’s decision is being felt. According to the medical center, “This organ transplant demonstrated for the first time that a genetically modified animal heart can function like a human heart without immediate rejection by the body.”
Investigations are still being conducted to determine what exactly caused Bennett’s deterioration and eventual death. At this time, the precise cause is not clear because his body had not rejected the transplant and, according to all tests, the pig’s heart was performing perfectly in replacement of Bennett’s own. Once the exact cause of death is determined, an assessment can be made about the extent of the surgery’s success and the prospect of such a transplant being a viable treatment.
“We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” said Griffith. “We are grateful to Mr. Bennett for his unique and historic role in helping to contribute to a vast array of knowledge to the field of xenotransplantation.”
Bennett’s son, David Bennett Jr., said that he hopes his father’s transplant is “the beginning of hope and not the end. We are grateful for every innovative moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic effort.” The two extra months that Bennett received with his family may give merit to further development of such new medical techniques.
