New preservation system ‘keeps liver healthier for longer’

A new preservation system keeps donor livers in excellent condition for up to nine hours before transplantation, according to a series of animal studies.

The technique pumps cooled, oxygen-rich fluid into the organ to ensure it stays in prime condition.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Center (UPMC) and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine performed the studies and will test the system with transplant patients later this year.

The findings – published online in the American Journal of Transplantation – indicate that it's possible to use the technique of 'machine perfusion' with a newly created cell-free oxygenated solution to expand the number of high-quality livers available for transplant.

This method will shorten waiting times, subsequently reducing patient mortality.

At the moment, between 20 to 40 per cent of donor livers cannot be transplanted into the intended recipients because oxygen deprivation during storage and transport in conventional containers can cause additional tissue damage.

Senior investigator Paulo Fontes, MD and UPMC transplant surgeon, commented: "This system has great potential to enhance our current standards for organ preservation, which should translate into more patients getting a life-saving procedure with potentially better outcomes."

He added that the integrity of cells and vital metabolic activity is sustained for eventual transplantation of the liver in the new system.