A team at the University of Michigan Health, led by Dr. Alvaro Rojas-Pena, has been researching improved methods for transporting organs for donation, focusing on hearts. They found that a modified normothermic perfusion system can preserve hearts for up to 24 hours, allowing for prolonged preservation without causing damage to the organs. This system, which uses a blood-derived solution with a hemofilter to remove toxins, has the potential to increase the number of organs available for transplant by considering previously discarded hearts and objectively assessing their function prior to transplant.
The current standard for heart preservation between donation and transplant is up to six hours in cold static storage, leading to increased posttransplant morbimortality rates for some recipients. By utilizing normothermic perfusion to maintain heart viability, remove toxins, and control edema, Rojas-Pena’s team has demonstrated the ability to assess organ function objectively and potentially increase the donor/recipient distance for transplants. This research opens the door for organ therapy and conditioning prior to transplant, enabling the consideration of organs with borderline or questionable function that would have previously been discarded.
The team’s research and data support the concept that normothermic perfusion has the potential to expand the organ pool by improving the evaluation of heart function and developing heart-specific perfusion therapies. The ability to assess organ function objectively and extend the time of organ preservation will help address logistical challenges and increase the number of viable organs available for transplant. Additionally, the team’s work was funded by the Maxime and Stuart Frankel Foundation, Michigan Fast Forward, and the NIH, highlighting the significance and impact of their research in the field of organ transplantation.
The improved transport and preservation methods developed by Rojas-Pena’s team have the potential to revolutionize the field of organ transplantation by increasing the number of viable organs available for transplant. By objectively assessing heart function prior to transplant and extending the time of organ preservation, organs that were previously discarded due to inadequate function may now be considered for transplant. This research has the potential to save lives and improve outcomes for patients in need of heart transplants, with implications for the broader field of organ transplantation.
In the United States, a significant number of donor hearts are not considered for transplant due to inadequate function, leading to a drop in the number of available organs for transplantation. Rojas-Pena’s team’s research on improved heart preservation methods, specifically using a modified normothermic perfusion system, addresses this challenge by extending the time of organ preservation and objectively assessing organ function prior to transplant. This has the potential to increase the donor pool, improve outcomes for transplant recipients, and revolutionize the field of organ transplantation.
Overall, the work led by Dr. Alvaro Rojas-Pena and his team at the University of Michigan Health represents a significant advancement in the field of organ transplantation. Their research on improved methods for transporting and preserving donor hearts has the potential to increase the number of available organs for transplant and improve outcomes for recipients. By utilizing a modified normothermic perfusion system, the team has demonstrated the feasibility of prolonged organ preservation without causing damage, leading to new possibilities for organ therapy and conditioning prior to transplant. This research has the potential to address critical challenges in the field of organ transplantation and save lives.