According to the New York Times reported on March 9, the University of Maryland Medical Center said on the same day that David Bennett, the world's first patient to transplant a gene-edited pig heart, died two months after surgery. Agency officials said it was not yet possible to comment on the specific cause of death because doctors had not yet conducted a thorough examination.
The University of Maryland Medical Center said in a statement that Bennett, 57, died on the afternoon of March 8 local time, and he underwent a swine heart transplant on January 7, "his condition began to deteriorate a few days ago." After determining that he was unable to recover, he was given palliative care. ”
Screenshot of the New York Times report
Bennett, a patient with advanced heart disease, was unable to undergo a routine heart transplant or use an artificial heart pump because of his serious condition and failure to strictly follow medical advice. Bennett, who had no choice but to risk experimenting, said before the operation: "Either die, get a transplant, I want to live." I know it's risky, but it's my last resort. ”
On January 7, local time, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the surgeon team of the University of Maryland Medical Center in the United States spent 8 hours to successfully transplant the heart of a gene-edited pig into Bennett's body.
According to the US media, the transplanted pig heart was provided by the Virginia medical company Revivicor, a total of 10 gene edits were carried out, 3 genes that may cause strong rejection of the human immune system and 1 gene that will make the pig heart continue to grow were eliminated or inactivated, and 6 genes were implanted to make the pig heart better adapt to the human immune system.
Before the operation, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center in the United States showed a gene-edited pig heart for transplantation from IC photo
According to officials at the University of Maryland Medical Center, the heart initially performed well and did not show symptoms of rejection for several weeks. In the process of rehabilitation, Bennett was able to sit up in her hospital bed, watch the Super Bowl with the doctor, and even sing a few songs.
But a few days ago, Bennett's condition suddenly deteriorated and he eventually died at the University of Maryland Medical Center on March 8, local time, two months after undergoing surgery. Medical center officials said that because doctors have not yet conducted a thorough examination, it is not currently possible to comment on the specific cause of death, and it is unclear whether Bennett's body has repulsed the transplanted heart. The results of the test are expected to be published in medical journals.
"It turns out that he (Bennett) was a brave and noble patient who fought until the end. He is known to millions of people around the world for his courage and strong will to survive. Bartley Griffith, the surgeon in charge of the operation, said.
David Bennett before undergoing surgery Photo from IC photo
Bennett's son issued a statement thanking hospitals and staff, "We hope this story can be the beginning of hope, not the end." We also hope that what we learn from his surgery will benefit future patients and that one day the shortage of transplanted organs will be avoided. ”
Since there is always a problem of "short supply" in organ transplantation, xenotransplantation has always been a key research area in the medical community. The US media previously quoted experts as pointing out that compared with primates, the breeding difficulty of pigs is very low, the cost is lower, and it can reach the size of adult organs within 6 months, making pigs have significant advantages in organ supply. Current human surgery for transplanting pig heart valves is already common.
The world's first swine heart transplant can be said to be an important step, but the uncertainty of the technology itself, immune problems, postoperative care problems and even ethical issues still cause controversy in the medical community and public opinion.
Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University in the United States, previously admitted to the US media that when he heard that Bennett was going to transplant a pig heart, he was quite worried about the safety of the operation. Transplanting animal organs is undoubtedly an important solution to the shortage of organ supplies, he said, "but the question is, can we guarantee that it will be achieved on the premise of causing the least possible harm to the first volunteers?" ”
Karen Maschke, a research scholar at the Bioethics Research Center in the United States, noted that it is crucial to share the data collected from this transplant before opening up this option to more patients. Maschek is developing ethical and policy recommendations for such clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health, "Without this information, it is not advisable to rush a transplant." ”
In addition to the risks of the surgery itself and the ethical debate, Bennett's criminal record also unexpectedly caused a public opinion storm in the United States. The Washington Post reported on January 13 that summary documents obtained by the newspaper confirmed that Bennett had stabbed a Maryland resident named Edward Shumaker seven times out of jealousy 34 years ago, causing him to be seriously injured and paralyzed.
Schumek, who spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, eventually died in 2007, so the news that Bennett underwent surgery also made Shoemaker's family extremely unhappy. His sister, Leslie Shumaker Downey, said Bennett was able to continue living after she was released from prison and was given "a second chance to have a heart," "but I'd rather have this heart transplanted to someone who deserves it." ”
In response to the unexpected public opinion storm, officials at the University of Maryland Medical Center declined to say whether bennett was aware of Bennett's criminal record. But Kaplan argues that the key principle of medicine is to treat sick people, "we are not distinguishing between sinners and saints, sin is a matter of law." ”
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