New organ transplant technique shows promise in early clinical trials

By Dr Deepu


There are reports on a new approach to harvest organs for transplant. The new technique, “emphasizing warmth instead of cold and maintaining an organ’s natural processes rather than slowing them down,” may “speed an individual heart or liver’s return to service, and it offers the eventual possibility of more: the potential to reduce the chronic shortage of organs for transplant by expanding the pool of usable ones.” Earlier clinical trials “established that this technique is safe for transporting donated hearts and lungs.” The big question remains on “whether keeping them warm will increase the supply” of viable organs and whether the new approach is better than the traditional one.
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