The world's second patient who received a genetically modified pig's heart has died in the United States, AIF reports with reference to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

US Navy veteran 58 years old Lawrence Fawcett, was hospitalized with end-stage heart failure on September 14. A traditional heart transplant turned out to be impossible due to advanced diseases. In this regard, permission was issued to transplant a pig heart into a man. Since his surgery, Fawcett has been doing physical therapy and spending time with family members. However, less than two months later, he began to show signs of heart transplant rejection. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the man died on October 30.

Let us remind that the world's first pig heart transplant operation into a human was carried out in the USA at the beginning of 2022. Its recipient was 57 years old David Bennett, who suffered from an incurable disease, and the characteristics of his body did not allow him to receive a human donor heart. Although the operation was successful, the patient died two months after it. After his death, scientists discovered signs of a swine virus that was hiding inside the heart.

Both human pig heart transplant operations were performed by the same team of surgeons.