Cocaine was the secret ingredient in pig-to-human heart transplant - New York Post

The organ used during the groundbreaking pig-to-human heart transplant that took place earlier this month got a boost from an unlikely drug: cocaine.

Now, doctors hope to see more of the party drug in transplant hospitals.

Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, director of xenotransplantation — which refers to the process of transferring an animal organ into a human — at the University of Maryland Medical Center, spoke to Vice News about his historic work on a 57-year-old patient who became the host of a genetically modified pig heart.

The heart was developed by lab company Revivicor, tweaked so that its DNA would be more amenable to a human host, then fortified with the party drug by Swedish medical tech company XVIVO, before traveling to the US.

Usually, transplant organs originate from much shorter distances as they deteriorate within a few hours outside of the body.

The 57-year-old patient of the first successful pig heart xenotransplantation is now recovering.

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Mohiuddin explained how cocaine was used in a mixture among hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, that keep the live tissue from spoiling during its long journey overseas to Maryland, but the proprietary solution raised flags with drug enforcement officials in the US, where cocaine has never before been used in this setting.

“The cocaine name pops out because everybody thinks, ’Oh my God, what is cocaine doing in here?’ ” Mohiuddin told the outlet.

Doctors hope to see more of the party drug in transplant hospitals: “It will be a great advance if this process is approved by the regulatory agencies.”

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Medical researchers aren’t clear on the mechanisms behind the amphetamine’s efficacy, but Mohiuddin wasn’t concerned with the “why” at the time, as the cocaine and hormone blend had bested the alternatives.

“When we were not using this solution, we were getting failures within 48 hours. But when we started using this and infusing the heart with this solution, the heart became well preserved and started beating very well,” he said. 

A tedious permit process with the US Drug Enforcement Administration ensued. “It’s a bit of a hassle but it’s a routine procedure when importing controlled substances,” said Mohiuddin. 

The doctor encouraged further research on the use of cocaine in transplantation protocol in the US. “It will be a great advance if this process is approved by the regulatory agencies,” he said.

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Cocaine was the secret ingredient in pig-to-human heart transplant - New York Post
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