In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Genetically Altered Pig
New York TimesJan 11, 2022
Traces of a porcine virus have been found in a patient who survived for two months after receiving a transplanted heart from a pig. Medical experts have speculated that the infection could have played a role in his death.
57-yr-old David Bennett underwent the procedure in Jan. at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was too ill to qualify for a human heart.
The transplant was an outstanding development that may help tackle acute organ shortages around the world.
This experimental treatment is still riddled with ethical and safety concerns and should be viewed with apprehension.
There is a 26% chance that lab-grown organs will be successfully used for human transplant by 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.