Long Road Ahead for Xenotransplantation as Patient with Pig Heart Dies.

A patient who received a pig heart transplant at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States passed away six weeks after the surgery. The rejection response to the transplanted pig heart was too strong, and unfortunately, it was not possible to save the patient's life.

 

Through these studies, they aim to contribute to the advancement and safety enhancement of pig heart transplantation technology.

 

 

The research team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine officially announced the death of the patient, Lawrence Posner (58), last month on the 30th, in light of this tragic event. Mr. Posner was in critical condition due to end-stage heart failure, and his health was so fragile that human organ transplantation was deemed extremely challenging. Holding on to their last hope, the University of Maryland attempted xenotransplantation, but ultimately, the transplanted pig heart was rejected, leading to the loss of his life.

 

Mr. Posner visited the University of Maryland on September 14th and underwent a gene-edited pig heart transplant on the 20th. He initially showed signs of improvement after the transplant, and there were no indications of rejection. He spent time with his family, received physical therapy, and made significant progress in regaining his strength. However, recently, signs of rejection emerged from the heart, ultimately leading to his passing on the 30th.

 

The research team at the University of Maryland had previously attempted gene-edited pig heart transplantation in a human patient in January of last year. That patient also passed away due to complications after only two months. Through cases like these, it has been confirmed that the most significant challenge in transplantation surgery is immune rejection.

 

The research team plans to conduct additional studies to more precisely determine the cause of Mr. Posner's passing and is also planning an extensive analysis of methods to prevent rejection reactions during transplantation. Through these studies, they aim to contribute to the advancement and safety enhancement of pig heart transplantation technology.