"I started thinking that if this man is lying to me at such an egregious level, theres no way hes not doing this in his medical life," she told CrimeFeed. Her ex-husband John was dying of cancer. He is from Italy. But because Macchiarini is apparently living in Spain, its unlikely to have much effect. Reports of their success always seemed like hot air to him. Its love of human interest stories makes it sympathetic to unproven therapies. Talking about her spouse Paolo, he became infamous for research fraud and manipulative behavior. Other trachea replacement attempts include transplanting part of a donors frozen, preserved aorta, the bodys main artery, and fabricating tracheas from patients own chest muscles and rib cartilage. Benita Alexander Before their wedding, the 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Texas According to the magazine, in 2012 he was charged in Italy with attempted aggravated fraud related to alleged efforts to persuade very ill patients to undergo radical surgery at facilities where he had privileges. It is also unclear whether the verdict Thursday will have an impact in other jurisdictions where Dr. Macchiarini conducted windpipe operations. But as time went on, she could not resist her connection to the dashing surgeon and she violated the number one rule of journalism: Never get involved with a person you're reporting on. They didnt. Benita Alexander had no way of knowing that, by the end of her love story, her heart would be broken and many of Paolos patients who received the miracle transplants would be dead. 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Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine? The trachea has been characterized as a simple tube, but its very complex, Dr. Delaere said. Tennessee WebPaolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958): 2 is a Swiss-born Italian thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and Its fascinating to rewatch as a lesson on how not to report on medical science. They planned to marry in the Catholic Church in Italy. She told CrimeFeed that, looking back, it seemed odd to her she had not met many of Paolo's close friends in Barcelona. Karolinska Institute announced in February 2016 that it would not renew his research contract, which was due to expire in November 2016, then terminated the contract in December 2016. Photographs document Ms. Seins trachea transformation: Her old windpipe looks raw and red, her new one smooth as porcelain. The official report into the matter dubbed this the bandwagon effect. Donald Trump Selena died in a hospital due to a loss of blood and cardiac arrest, two weeks before her 24th birthday. Was he conning his patients, his colleagues and the scientific community? A year later, he began to implant synthetic windpipes seeded with stem cells isolated from the patients own bone marrow, claiming the cells would grow and integrate with the patients tissue. 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A Swedish filmmakers investigative documentary raised further questions, as did a Vanity Fair article detailing how the beguiling surgeon became romantically involved with an NBC producer working on a feature about him and apparently conned her into believing he was divorced and would marry her in a ceremony officiated by the pope and attended by the Clintons, Obamas, John Legend and Elton John. It did much the same for Macchiarinis windpipe replacements. "I have to tell people. New York By this year, Dr. Genden said, her condition had deteriorated so that if we delay further, its not going to work out.. It showed department heads and colleagues that they should give Macchiarini special treatment.He could do pretty much as he pleased. Andemariam Beyene met up with Macchiarini in Iceland a year after his operation but later died Two more patients were also given transplants at the Karolinska Nearly all of those patients have died. Illinois 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Karolinskas leadership expected big things from their superstar, things that would bring prestige and funding to the institute. Washington If as a doctor you do stupid things, then you can be charged. But the not-guilty verdicts on the other two cases highlight how the law can leave vulnerable people unprotected, he says, for example when they are facing life-and-death decisions and holding less information than their doctor. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Her transformation follows a groundbreaking experimental procedure she underwent in January: the first time, medical experts believe, a donor trachea has been successfully directly transplanted into another person. She remained conscious and awake throughout most of them, but unable to breathe. In their view, he was grossly misrepresenting his results and the health of his patients. I had a brave face, but I was scared, Ms. Sein said. Scientific pioneer, superstar surgeon, miracle worker thats how Paolo Macchiarini was known for several years. Even the jewelry he had given her was Macchiarini gave his regenerating windpipes to 17 or more patients worldwide. The first person to receive one of these was Andemariam Beyene, an Eritrean doctoral student in geology at the University of Iceland. Bangkok But colleagues suspected that Macchiarini was manipulating his results. She pushed through his appointment despite the fact that he had some very negative references and dubious claims on his rsum. Hwang, Obokata and Macchiarini were all attracted to the hottest regions of stem cell research, where hope for a medical breakthrough was greatest. It is fitting that Macchiarinis career unravelled at the Karolinska Institute. There is South Koreas Hwang Woo-suk who, in 2004, falsely claimed to have created the first human embryonic stem cells by means of cloning. Faced with this public relations disaster, the Karolinska Institute immediately promised to investigate the allegations but then, within days, suddenly announced that Macchiarinis contract would not be extended. Here are 13 more things about him: Categories: biographical data, crimes, Europe, fitness & health, Italy, Lifestyle, LISTS, Russia, Social Issues, Sweden, Tagged as: Basel, Benita Alexander, Emanuela Pecchia, Paolo Macchiarini. Stem-cell scientist Dr. Paolo Macchiarini was accused of wrongdoing during operations on three people between 2011 and 2014. The secret sauce in his approach, he said, is transplanting not just the donor trachea but also its attached esophagus (food tube), thyroid gland and thyroid arteries. Ms. Sein speaking with Dr. Eric M. Genden Sr., left, who developed the pioneering procedure, and Dr. Sander S. Florman, director of Mount Sinais Transplantation Institute. Award-winning documentary-maker Benita Alexander was swept off her feet by renowned Italian doctor Paolo Macchiarini in 2013 while she was working on a story about his pioneering medical work. Guided by several mentors, he delved into research and animal experiments, developing a transplant approach. He was one of the best con-men I have ever come across, he added. That's when, Benita said, it hit her: She had given up a good job and spent $50,000 on a "bogus fantasy wedding" to a man who already had at least two families. In fact, the surgeon was still married to his wife of nearly 30 years. It sounded unbelievable, but Paolo explained to her that he had treated Pope John Paul II in the past, and had become part of a highly classified group of doctors that treated the global elite. The couple set a date: July 11, 2015. 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No one is more powerless than a patient with a disease, said Dr. Gerdin. Border crisis: Whats happening at the US-Mexico border? The Macchiarini scandal claimed many of his powerful friends. Death Season 2, Mandy Moore Joins Dr. According to a witness report, Paolo operated on a 45-50-year-old woman of Middle Eastern origin in a private clinic in Barcelona in the fall of 2008. Yet, for the vast majority of such treatments, there is little solid evidence that they work. In 2016, Vanity Fair published an expose on Paolo that uncovered even more damning evidence. That meant the donor trachea was accompanied by a blood supply that Dr. Genden connected to Ms. Seins blood vessels. Paolo Macchiarini traveled to Illinois to operate on toddler Hannah Warren, who was born without a trachea in 2013. Largely confined to her Bronx apartment, she needed home health aides and had to quit her career as a social worker for pregnant women. He said yeah, so I said Lets go for it., After extracting the donors organs, you go next door and you open up Sonia and you remove the diseased trachea, and there is no going back, Dr. Genden said. Nevada A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 376, Issue 6600. The Karolinska Institute was seduced by Macchiarini, said Dr. Gerdin. We have estimated Paolo Macchiarini's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. What's next for abortion rights in America? We have, for example, a growing list of scientific celebrities who have committed major stem cell fraud. The court heard testimony in the case between 27 April and 12 May. Learn how your comment data is processed. Macchiarini was fired in 2016 amid allegations of fraud and scientific misconduct after many of his transplant recipients died. Brave CF document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Hes clearly bright and has accomplishments, but he cant contain himself. Alexander admits that, at the time, she was in a vulnerable place. But according to reports, Paolo cheated on his Emanuela Pecchia. Los Angeles What comes next after Texas school shooting? Paolo was a world-renowned surgeon who spoke six languages, mingled with the global elite, and resembled George Clooney. There he reinvented his technique. He convinced the Karolinska Institute that this could make them famous, and they just let him do it. Benita fell for Macchiarini while a producer for NBC, working on a story on him in 2013. An independent investigator agreed. According to the Karolinska Institutes timeline of the Macchiarini case, the institute recruited Macchiarini as a visiting professor of regenerative medicine/stem cell biology in 2010, and the associated Karolinska University Hospital gave him a part-time contract as a consultant and surgeon around the same time. Filipino MMA fighters Macchiarinis argument that KI fully supported and encouraged the surgeries likely swayed the judges as well, he says. Please try again later. Thereafter it was all over the news. The story portrayed Macchiarini, who was already married at the time, as a serial fabulist who exaggerated or lied about degrees, academic appointments, and personal accomplishments. Benita was also growing increasingly concerned, because she had not yet been introduced to Paolo's children or even seen where she was meant to live with him in Barcelona. He did this by chemically stripping away the cells of a windpipe taken from a deceased donor; he then seeded the bare scaffold with stem cells taken from Castillos own bone marrow. They will especially examine the judges decision that Macchiarini couldnt be held responsible for what happened to Andemariam and Lyles because he acted in distress, according to the courts statement. Still, noting that previous attempts didnt show documented success, he cautioned that longer-term results were needed before the technique should be embraced, adding, Lets see how it works and how you can do it in more patients.. All three patients later died. Which left a big, burning question in the air: if Macchiarini was a pathological liar in matters of love, what about his medical research? Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. We will send you a maximum of two emails in, We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Thats what Macchiarini told his fiancee. Surgeon Paolo Macchiarini was hailed for turning the dream of regenerative medicine into a reality until he was exposed as a con artist and false prophet. He was handsome, suave, and a charmer. In the Alexander eventually fell in love with the surgeon, and in 2014, he proposed to her, and they started planning a lavish wedding for the following year. Likewise the whole idea of a wedding: Macchiarini was still married to his wife of 30 years. Apparently, her graft detached soon after, causing an infection, and because of difficulties in breathing, she had to be admitted into emergency a total of 13 times. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini became a star by creating a bioartificial windpipe. Macchiarini, they claimed, wasnt really doing clinical research. Massachusetts Paolo, a visiting researcher at the prestigious Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, had shot to fame as the only doctor in the world who was able to use biological and synthetic scaffolds bathed in the patients' own stem cells for trachea transplants. They exchange their vows in Italy. WebIn reality, Paolo had not worked with the Pope, and he was still married to his wife of 30 years. About 11 centimeters (4 inches) long, one side curves like a halfpipe, composed of cartilage rings and ligaments. After Macchiarini fitted Cetir with one of his artificial windpipes in 2012, her condition worsened. But, we now know that the success of this operation was a lie, and the complications she suffered because of it were kept under wraps for a really long time. The Karolinska University Hospital suspended Dr. Macchiarinis contract as a surgeon in 2013, but the affiliated Karolinska Institute kept him on until 2016 even as the scandal over his work spread, according to a timeline on the institutes website. The story portrayed Macchiarini, who was already married at the time, as a serial fabulist who exaggerated or lied about degrees, academic appointments, and Almost immediately after she was fitted with a synthetic trachea in August 2012, Ms. Cetirs condition began to rapidly deteriorate, according to the courts written judgment. To some extent, they believed Macchiarini because he told them what they wanted to hear. While many in Sweden expressed disappointment at what they saw as the leniency of the sentence, given that prosecutors had asked for five years in prison, the verdict nonetheless represented the culmination of a stunning fall from grace for a once high-flying surgeon. Also seduced by Macchiarini was former NBC News producer Benita Alexander, who met the surgeon in 2013 when she was working on A Leap of Faith, an NBC special about Macchiarini hosted by Meredith Vieira. Read More: Where is Benita Alexander Now? Brazilian MMA fighters Disgraced surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who faked research relating to dangerous and largely discredited tracheal transplants, has been handed a 16 month prison sentence in Italy for forging documents and abuse of office. But that day is always postponed. Last year, however, the dream soured, exposing an ugly reality. She became close to Paolo as she opened her heart to him about how hard it was for her daughter, then nine years old, to lose her father. Thats something that was new to us, so we need to analyze that, Lundstrm-Kron says. Were going to show up and say, As a student, I had this idea on the back of a napkin and now were ready to go and if it fails, the patient dies and it becomes yet another example of some surgeon who thought he could solve a problem and hes created, instead, just the opposite.. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? North Carolina Even the jewelry he had given her was fake. Benita told CrimeFeed that Paolo always paid for everything and was "extremely generous." After being dismissed from the institute, he worked at the Kazan Federal University in Kazan, Russia. Brazil Prosecutors asked for a five-year prison sentence for Macchiarinis liability in Cetirs bodily injury, but a Swedish court instead gave him a suspended sentence this June, deciding that he hadnt intended to cause the patients harm, according to BBC News. AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER. Sonia Sein, outside her Bronx home, had irreparable damage to her trachea. I didnt want the fairy tale to end., Alexander also hired a private investigator, a former Pennsylvania State Police detective named Frank Murphy. A High-Flying Italian Surgeons Fall From Grace, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/world/europe/macchiarini-windpipe-surgeon-deaths.html. I dont want to live like this, she concluded. His recovery put Macchiarini on the front page of the New York Times. Macchiarinis lawyer declined to comment to Swedish media today about whether his client would appeal. Its very exciting, said Dr. G. Alexander Patterson, a professor of surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, who was not involved in the case. From November 2011 to June 2014, Paolo Macchiarini gave transplants to Christopher Lyles, Yulia Tuulik, Alexander Zozulya, Yesim Cetir, Hannah Warren (a 3-year-old), Sadiq Kanaan, and Dmitri Onogda. Likewise, they didnt undertake a proper risk assessment of the procedure, nor did Macchiarinis team seek government permits for the plastic windpipes, stem cells, and chemical growth factors they used. Why dont the Electoral College and popular vote always match up? As Grinnemo recalls, it nearly destroyed his career: I didnt receive any new grants. They should be. If the sins of Karolinska have been committed elsewhere, it is partly because medical research facilities share a common milieu, which harbours common dangers. In 2019, an Italian court said he had forged documents and abused his position, charges unrelated to his trachea work. Coming from different countries including Eritrea, Spain, Russian, Iceland, Britain and the United States, 20 patients were operated on by Macchiarini, who provide them with an artificial windpipe. Its a problematic idea with unfortunate side effects.