Bartley Griffith, director of the University of Maryland Medical Center, globally recognized for performing the first human transplant from a pig heart in January this year, attended an American Transplantation Society webinar in April. At the video conference, the surgeon explained a swine virus may be responsible for the patient’s deathoccurred 57 days after surgery.

Griffith said that the virus he was fighting to defeat, “Maybe it was the actor who triggered all this, or he could be an actor.” Now MIT Technology Review On May 5, he released a report stating that David Bennett Sr.’s heart was beating. Transplants were affected by porcine cytomegalovirus, a preventable but devastating infection.

pig heart transplant

When Bennett took the pig heart in the historic January 10 operation, I survived impending death, but he had not imagined that he would start carrying a porcine cytomegalovirus in his chest, which theoretically does not infect human cells. However, the report clarifies that it may be associated with reactions that can harm both the transplanted organ and the recipient.

A few days after the transplant, Bennett took a picture while sitting in bed. Alongside Dr. Griffith proudly declared that the new heart was working “fantastically” and pumping blood like a “rock star”. However, in the routine examination performed 20 days after the procedure, virus symptoms detected and the patient became seriously ill.

On March 8, the university released a statement announcing the death of 57-year-old David Bennett Sr. According to the spokesperson, “there was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death” but a full report would be released when the time came.

Source: Shutterstock/Reproduction.

A great xenotransplantation trial

Bennett’s surgery and preparation of the transplanted organ, xenotransplantation, marked the completion of tissue transplant research across different species. Because surgery on an ordinary pig would produce hyperacute rejection by the immune system, transplanted animals are genetically modified through gene locks and insertions.

To prevent rejection of genes responsible for sugar production, scientists block them in newborn pig cells and add human genes to tame the patient’s immune response. in a seedless egg.

However, a golden rule that does not seem to have been followed is that these pigs are specially bred to provide organs for humans. must be completely virus free. So far, the company Revivicor, which handed over the organ to Bennett, has yet to comment.

Source: Tec Mundo

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I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.

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