US man who got first pig heart transplant dies after two months

David Bennett, the first person in the world to receive a heart transplant from a pig, died at hospital in Maryland, US. 

David Bennett, the first person in the world to receive a heart transplant from a pig, died at a hospital in Maryland, US. 

The University of Maryland announced that the 57-year-old man died Tuesday, two months after the groundbreaking experiment. The cause of death is still not known.

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Bennett’s son, David Bennett Jr said in a statement that the family is grateful for "every innovative moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic effort". 

We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end, David Bennett Jr said.

The first of its kind transplant was Bennett's sole hope for Bennett. He had been deemed ineligible for a normal transplant. 

The landmark surgery, which was conducted in early January this year by the University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty had given a ray of hope for those who have to wait for months to avail a transplant.

To make the heart suitable for transplant, the donor pig underwent 10 unique gene edits. The medical team removed three genes that led to a rapid antibody-mediated rejection of pig organs by humans in the donor pig. Following this, six human genes were inserted into the genome that enabled immune acceptance of the animal's heart. Besides, an additional gene in the pig was eliminated to avoid excessive growth of the pig heart tissue.