Science & technology | Xenotransplantation

The science behind the first successful pig-to-human heart transplant

It may lead to a new approach to organ transplantation

Lifesaver

ON JANUARY 7TH David Bennett became the first person to have a heart transplanted successfully into him from a pig. In press material issued three days after the operation, the University of Maryland confirmed Mr Bennett was doing well, and was capable of breathing on his own. While he continues to rely on artificial support to pump blood around his body, the team behind the surgery, led by Bartley Griffith, plan gradually to reduce its use.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Happy news”

Beware the bossy state

From the January 15th 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Science & technology

Heart with a face holding up weights in each hand

Should you start lifting weights?

You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong

A person sleeping. The frame is split between night and day.

Does melatonin work for jet lag?

It can help. But it depends where you’re going


A network of pixelated hearts

Training AI models might not need enormous data centres

Eventually, models could be trained without any dedicated hardware at all


How the Gulf’s rulers want to harness the power of science

A stronger R&D base, they hope, will transform their countries’ economies. Will their plan work?

Cancer vaccines are showing promise at last

Trials are under way against skin, brain and lung tumours

New firefighting tech is being trialled in Sardinia’s ancient forests

It could sniff out blazes long before they spread out of control