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Landmark pig heart transplant was a big leap forward in 2022

On 7 January, a man with severe heart failure received a genetically modified pig's heart. Although he died two months later, the procedure marked a step towards xenotransplantation

By Grace Wade

14 December 2022

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Surgeons trial transplanting a pig heart into a brain‑dead person

Joe Carrotta/Nyu Langone Health

On 7 January, David Bennett, a 57-year-old with terminal heart failure, became the first person to receive a genetically modified pig heart. While he died two months later, his surgery still marked a significant step forward.

Several months after Bennett’s procedure, surgeons at NYU Langone Health in New York transplanted modified pig hearts into two brain-dead people on life support. The hearts pumped blood for three days before the researchers ended the study.

Xenotransplantation, the use of animal organs…

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