The second patient in the world who received a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig died six weeks after the operation, and a year and a half after the first patient died, the American medical center that performed the operation announced. Lawrence Faucette, 58, was deemed ineligible for a human heart transplant due to advanced heart disease, and a pig heart transplant was.the only chance», According to the University of Maryland, located in the United States, in a press release published on Tuesday.

“We mourn Lawrence Faucette, a remarkable patient, scientist, Navy veteran and family man who simply wanted to spend a little more time with his wife, sons and family.“said the surgeon who performed the operation. Although the transplant initially appeared to be successful, the patient began showing signs of rejection in recent days, the University of Maryland noted.

The institution had already performed the world’s first heart transplant of a genetically modified pig into a human in January 2022. Transplantation held high hopes, as such xenografts – from animal to human – could potentially prevent the shortage of pigs. organ donation. More than 100,000 Americans are currently on the transplant waiting list. These xenografts are a real challenge because the recipient’s immune system tends to attack the foreign organ. To reduce this risk, pig organs are genetically modified.

Read alsoIn the United States, an impressive transplant of a pig’s heart into a man

For many, pigs are ideal organ donors because of their size, rapid growth and large litters. Kidney transplants from genetically modified pigs have also recently been performed in brain-dead patients. The Transplant Institute at NYU Langone Hospital in New York announced in September that a pig kidney transplanted into a brain-dead patient functioned for a record 61 days.