David Bennett Sr., 57, a fatal heart disease sufferer who became the first person to receive a genetically modified pig heart, has died.
Bennett died on Tuesday, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, where the transplant was conducted.
Bennett had the transplant on January 7 and survived for two months afterward.
Bennett’s condition deteriorated many days before his death, according to the medical institution, despite the fact that the actual reason of his death was not disclosed.
When it became evident that he would not survive, he received compassionate palliative care and was able to interact with his family in his dying hours.
“Mr. Bennett’s death has crushed us. He proved to be a courageous and honourable patient who fought to the last end. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family “According to Bartley P. Griffith, MD, who conducted the transplant,
“We are thankful to Mr. Bennett for his unique and historic role in helping to contribute to a great variety of information to the area of xenotransplantation,” said Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, MD, head of the cardiac xenotransplantation programme at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Surgeon Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, MD leads a team placing a genetically-modified pig heart into a storage device at the Xenotransplant lab before its transplant on David Bennett, a 57-year-old patient with terminal heart disease, at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. January 7, 2022. Picture taken January 7, 2022.
Bennett needed artificial help to keep alive before getting the genetically engineered pig heart, but he was turned down for a regular heart transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center and other hospitals.
Following surgery, the transplanted pig heart functioned well for many weeks with no evidence of rejection. Bennett was able to spend time with his family as well as participate in physical therapy to help him regain strength.
“For the first time, this organ transplant revealed that a genetically modified animal heart may operate like a human heart without rapid rejection by the body,” the medical centre stated in a statement three days after the procedure.
“We have learned crucial insights knowing that the genetically modified pig heart may operate effectively within the human body provided the immune system is appropriately repressed,” Mohiuddin added, crediting Bennett.
“We remain hopeful and want to continue our work in future clinical studies,” he said.
Bennett’s son, David Bennett Jr., said the family is “profoundly thankful” for the “life-extending opportunity” provided by the “excellent team” at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center to his father.
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“We were able to spend some valuable weeks together as he recovered from the transplant procedure, time we would not have had otherwise,” Bennett Jr. added.
“We also hope that what we learnt from his procedure can assist future patients and, maybe, one day, put a stop to the organ scarcity that claims so many lives every year,” he added.
