In a first-of-its-kind surgery, a 57-year-old patient with terminal (晚期的) heart disease received a successful transplant of a genetically-modified (转基因的) pig heart and is still doing well three days later. It was the only currently available option for the patient. The historic surgery was conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
This organ transplant showed for the first time that a genetically-modified animal heart can function like a human heart without immediate rejection by the body. The patient, David Bennett, a Maryland resident, is being carefully monitored over the next weeks to determine whether the transplant provides lifesaving benefits. He had been considered ineligible for a traditional heart transplant at UMMC and several other leading transplant centers that reviewed his medical records.
“It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice,” said Mr. Bennett, the patient, a day before the surgery was conducted. He had been hospitalized for the past few months.
Before the surgery, three genes, responsible for the rejection of pig organs by humans, were “knocked out” in the donor pig (供体猪). Six human genes responsible for immune acceptance of the pig heart were put in. Lastly, one additional gene in the pig was knocked out to prevent unreasonable growth of the pig heart tissue, which totaled 10 unique gene edits made in the donor pig.
“This was a breakthrough surgery and brings us one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis. There are simply not enough donor human hearts available to meet the long list of potential receivers,” said Bartley P. Griffith, Doctor of Medicine, who surgically transplanted the pig heart into the patient. Daniel Maluf, Doctor of Medicine, said: “This event is the final achievement of years of research and testing from our multidisciplinary (多学科的) team and represents a beginning of a new era in the field of organ transplantation medicine.”
【小题1】Why is the transplant seen as the first of its kind?| A．A major breakthrough to cure cancer. | B．A new technology to edit genes. |
| C．An available option for all patients. | D．A successful use of a pig heart. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Unqualified. | C．Suitable. | D．Irresponsible. |
| A．To increase the success rate of the surgery. |
| B．To give the donor pig a better survival rate. |
| C．To stop the overgrowth of the pig lung tissue. |
| D．To improve the acceptance of the additional gene. |
| A．The lack of heart medicine. | B．The lack of donor human organs. |
| C．The lack of clinical tests. | D．The lack of medical facilities. |
