The first cause of death of pig heart transplant patients in the world was announced for the first time: dying from heart failure

Jimu Journalist Sun Yan

Video editing Wang Peng

On March 9 this year, researchers at the University of Maryland announced that the first man in the world undergoing a genetically modified pig heart transplantation surgery died two months after the operation, when the hospital did not announce the cause of death. According to the Washington Post reported on July 6, at present, the University of Maryland Medical College disclosed for the first time that the patient died of heart failure.

Related report screenshots (picture source "Washington Post")

On January 7, local time, 57 -year -old David Bennett underwent heart transplant surgery and died on March 8. According to the US media previously reported, there was no rejection response a few weeks after Benne's surgery. Although "artificial lungs" need to be used to assist blood circulation, they can breathe without a ventilator.

Professor Mohammed Mohdin, who participated in the pig -hearted transplant surgery, recently said in an interview that the medical team of the University of Maryland is still studying the causes of Bennett's heart failure.

"We are still trying to find out the problem." As the co -person in charge of the medical team of the University of Maryland, Professor Mohdin believes that this operation does not represent "setbacks."

David Bened (left) and son (picture source "Washington Post")

"In our opinion, he can survive the surgery to win the first victory. In the two months after the operation, he looked good and was recovering. We really thought it was a huge success." Professor Mohdin told reporters that the team now hopes to go further and find out the reason for Bennett's heart failure.

It is reported that through the autopsy, doctors did not find signs of rejection in Bentet's body; on the contrary, Benet's myocardial thickening and eventually became stiff, which may be a reaction to fighting exclusion or anti -infectious drugs.

According to an article published in the "New England Medical Magazine" in June this year, researchers at the University of Maryland found a DNA of animal virus in the transplanted pig's heart, which is called pig giant cytomegal virus. According to the Associated Press, researchers did not find signs of active infection caused by this virus.

The report pointed out that it is unclear whether this virus can cause heart failure.

- END -