A 58-year-old man, Lawrence Faucette, who had been suffering from heart failure, died on Monday, nearly six weeks after receiving a new heart from a genetically modified pig, according to officials at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Faucette, from Frederick, Maryland, was the second patient at the medical center to undergo this experimental procedure, which involved transplanting a pig organ that had been genetically modified to be more compatible with a human recipient and avoid rejection by the immune system. The first patient, David Bennett, died two months after his transplant last year, with traces of a pig virus found in his new heart.

Both patients had terminal heart disease and were not expected to recover enough to leave the hospital. However, while doctors stated that Bennett did not show signs of acute rejection, Faucette's transplanted heart began displaying initial signs of rejection. Dr. Bartley P. Griffith, the surgeon who performed the transplant, expressed his condolences and described Faucette as a remarkable patient, scientist, Navy veteran, and family man who simply wanted more time with his loved ones.

Faucette was actively involved in his own care, reading and interpreting his own biopsies, according to Dr. Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, a professor of surgery and the scientific program director of the cardiac xenotransplantation program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Faucette's last wish was to use the knowledge gained from his experience to improve the field of xenotransplantation and give others in need a chance at a new heart when human organs are not available.

In the month following the surgery, Faucette's transplanted heart was functioning well with no signs of rejection. He was even able to undergo physical therapy to regain his ability to walk. Faucette, like Bennett, was rejected from traditional transplant programs that rely on deceased human donors due to his severe illness and complications. The shortage of human donor organs in the United States is a pressing issue, with over 100,000 Americans living with end-stage organ disease, most of whom require a kidney transplant.

The University of Maryland team aims to advance the field of xenotransplantation, which involves transplanting organs or tissues from animals into humans. This experimental approach has been attempted for decades, but previous attempts failed as the human immune system rejected the foreign tissue. Now, scientists are genetically modifying pigs to make their organs more compatible with humans. The hope is that xenotransplants could eventually help alleviate the organ shortage and save lives.

Faucette's wife, Ann, described her husband as a kind and selfless man who wanted to make a difference and save lives through his experience. She emphasized that while Faucette knew his time was limited, he never expected to survive as long as he did and provide valuable data to the xenotransplant program. The family expressed their gratitude for the kindness and selflessness of others throughout Faucette's journey and stressed that his legacy should never be forgotten.

The University of Maryland's cardiac xenotransplantation program will continue to study pig organs and analyze what happened with Faucette's transplanted heart. Other medical centers are also researching xenotransplantation in hopes of finding a solution to the organ shortage crisis.