A Maryland man, Lawrence Faucette, has become the second patient in the world to receive a genetically modified pig heart as a transplant. Faucette, 58, was deemed ineligible for a human heart transplant due to peripheral vascular disease, which reduces blood circulation. The historic procedure was performed at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), where Faucette is now breathing on his own and his heart is functioning without any supportive devices. Without the procedure, Faucette was facing certain death. The genetically modified pig used in the procedure was provided by Revivicor, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, one of several biotech companies working towards developing suitable pig organs for human transplant.
The surgery took place after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval for the procedure. The pig heart was removed and placed in an XVIVO Heart Box, which preserved the organ in a nutrient-rich oxygenated solution. Pigs have a gene that triggers an aggressive immune response in humans, but in Faucette’s surgery, three genes were “knocked out” in the donor pig and replaced with six human genes responsible for accepting the organ. Ten unique genes were edited in total. Faucette’s surgery offers hope for the 110,000 Americans currently waiting for an organ transplant, as over 6,000 patients die each year before they can receive the organs they need.
It is important to note that the first patient to receive a pig heart transplant, David Bennett, died two months after the surgery, possibly due to an infection. Bennett’s case was controversial due to his past criminal history. Some critics argue that he should not have been the first recipient of the medical breakthrough. Scientists have been exploring animal-to-human organ donation, known as xenotransplantation, for many years with varying success. The field holds promise for the advancement of transplantation medicine and the possibility of making organs available to more patients in need.
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