Patient who received pig heart transplant dies

Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images

The New York Times reported that the first patient to have a heart transplant with an organ from a genetically modified pig died Tuesday. David Bennett received a heart in January. He was older.

The University of Maryland Medical Center, where the procedure was performed, told The New York Times that it was not clear why Bennett died. Doctors will publish their results after a full evaluation.

Bennett's death shows the challenges of animal-to-human transplants. Thousands of people on organ transplant waiting lists could be helped by a steady supply of animal organs. Bennett's transplant, which initially appeared successful, was one of a number of successes shared by researchers and surgeons. A company called Revivicor has genetically altered pigs to inactivate genes that could cause a human body to reject an organ.

Although it's too early to say if organ rejection played a role in Bennett's death, researchers involved in xenotransplantation procedures have stressed that early positive outcomes don't necessarily mean long-term success. Rejection can happen years after an organ transplant.

Peter Reese, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, commented on the news of Benentt's death: "The right road is through."