The first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig has died two months later.
David Bennet died at the University of Maryland Medical Center after he received a pig heart transplant. The patient was rejected from multiple waiting lists to receive a human heart.
There is a good chance that his death was caused by his body rejecting the organ.
There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death, a hospital spokesman told The New York Times.
The surgeon who performed the procedure on Bennet said that the hospital was devastated by his death.
He was a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end.
Scientists genetically altered a pig to remove genes that might have caused the pig's organ to be rejected by the man.
His death will cast doubt on the practice going forward, even though it initially offered some promise. The case study offers a promising avenue for people in dire need of transplants.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, an average of 17 people die each day while on transplant waiting lists in the US. These needs could be fulfilled by animal organs.
In the months following the surgery, Bennet was in good health and was able to spend time with his family and even watch the Super Bowl. His condition began to get worse several days ago.
Bennett's son said in a statement that he hopes the story can be the beginning of hope and not the end.
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