Massachusetts General Hospital announced the death of 62-year-old Ric Sleiman, who two months ago became the world’s first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney.
The hospital administration notes that this operation did not cause death. Sleiman also suffered from type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In 2018, he was transplanted with a human kidney, which began to fail after five years.
According to the BBC, attempts to transplant modified pig internal organs into people had been made before, but Sleiman’s transplant was considered the first to be successful and was perceived as a historical milestone in transplantation.
“Mr. Sleiman will always be a beacon of hope for countless patients around the world. We are grateful for his trust and willingness to help advance the field of cross-species transplantation,” the hospital said in a statement.