Researchers Investigate Impact of Animal Virus Found in Pig Heart Transplanted in Human

Researchers found an animal virus in the pig heart of the man that was the first to receive such a transplant after his death and are trying to investigate if it had any role in the deterioration of the patient's health.

The scientific experts are looking into the case of a 57-year-old Maryland David Bennett from Maryland who died in March. His death was two months after he became the first person in history to receive a transplant of a pig's heart.

Animal Virus in Pig Heart

On Thursday, University of Maryland doctors said that they discovered the unwelcome surprise, which was viral DNA inside the creature's heart. Despite being found inside the organ, medical professionals did not find that the bug, which was called porcine cytomegalovirus, was causing an active infection.

The major point of concern is regarding the possibility of animal-to-human transplants being a risk that could introduce new kinds of infections to people. Due to some viruses being "latent," which means they lurk without causing any harm, it could have been a hitchhiker, said Dr. Bartley Griffith, as per the Associated Press.

However, medical experts are continuing to develop more sophisticated tests to ensure that they do not miss these types of complications, said Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, the scientific director of the university's xenotransplant program.

The operation that Griffith performed on Bennett was considered a last-ditch effort to save the 57-year-old man's life after he was deemed ineligible for a traditional heart transplant. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency authorization for the surgery under the agency's compassionate use provision on New Year's Eve.

According to People, Griffith added that while the virus could have played a role in the death of Bennett by taking a ride on his body through the pig heart, there were no signs that the patient's body refused the organ for compatibility or health issues. Experts said that the pig was evaluated multiple times but was not able to detect any active versions.

The Future of the Surgical Procedure

In an interview, Griffith and Mohiuddin said that while they were extremely saddened by the unfortunate passing of Bennett, it would not deter them from pursuing their goal of using animal organs to save human lives.

"This doesn't really scare us about the future of the field unless for some reason this one incident is interpreted as a complete failure. It is just a learning point. Knowing it was there, we'll probably be able to avoid it in the future," said Griffith.

The pig in the case was genetically modified so that its organs would not be rejected by the human immune system and was provided by Revivicor, a regenerative medicine company based in Blacksburg, Va.

On Thursday, company officials declined to comment on the matter, and authorities from the FDA said that they were not immediately ready to give responses to questions. Officials from the University of Maryland said that Bennett's surgery was initially considered a success because it did not show signs of rejection. Moreover, the pig heart continued to function for well over a month, which was a critical milestone for transplant patients, the New York Times reported.