The team responsible for the first pig heart transplant on a human patient, performed earlier this year in the United States, announced that the organ was contaminated with an animal virus, which might have contributed to its death.
Porcine cytomegalovirus
David Bennett Sr.57, is passed away on March 8, two months following his heart transplant. Provided by the Regenerative Medicine Society Revivicorthe organ had been taken from an animal that had undergone a dozen specific genetic modifications, aimed at reducing the risk of rejection by the human immune system.
The team that performed this historic operation recently reported that the heart was tested multiple times prior to transplant for possible traces of porcine cytomegalovirus, but explained that the protocols used only detected active infections, not latent infections in which the virus “ hides in the body without actively replicating.
Three weeks following transplantation, tests had revealed the presence of low levels of cytomegalovirus porcine in the blood of Bennett. Yes the Dr Bartley Griffith and his colleagues initially thought it might have been a laboratory error, forty days following the transplant their patient’s condition had deteriorated sharply and tests had shown a sharp increase in blood levels ofADN viral.
“It is clear that the virus may have contributed to the deterioration of his general state of health”
Specific to pigs, the porcine cytomegalovirus theoretically cannot infect human cells. However, the latter might have replicated suddenly and uncontrollably in the transplanted organ, triggering a potentially fatal inflammatory reaction in the patient.
« We cannot say with certainty that this is the main cause of death, but it is clear that the virus may have contributed to the deterioration of his general health. “, valued Jay FishmanAssociate Director of Centre de transplantation du Massachusetts General Hospital.
According to Griffith, tighter screening tests on animals will be needed to prevent transfer of such viruses in future animal-to-human transplants. ” If this type of infection is indeed the cause, we can probably prevent it in the future. “, he concludes.
