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Boston, April 27, 2025 – A pioneering study presented today at the Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) reveals that donor lungs can be safely preserved for nearly 20 hours outside the body prior to transplantation. This advancement, achieved through a novel hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) technique, promises to revolutionize lung transplantation logistics and outcomes.
Extending Lung Viability with HOPE
Traditionally, donor lungs are transported on ice and assessed using ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) at body temperature (37°C) before transplantation. However, the new HOPE protocol, developed by researchers at UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands, modifies this approach by combining an initial normothermic EVLP assessment with subsequent preservation at a controlled hypothermic temperature of 12°C. This method eliminates the need for a second ice storage period and extends the lungs’ viability for up to 20 hours outside the body.
Jitte Jennekens, MSc, organ perfusionist and transplant coordinator at UMC Utrecht, shared the study’s promising results: “Our findings indicate that HOPE is a safe and effective lung preservation method after a period of normothermic EVLP, enabling longer out-of-body preservation times without compromising lung function.”
Study Highlights and Clinical Implications
The study compared 12 lung transplant cases using the nEVLP-HOPE protocol with a historical control group of 118 cases where lungs were transplanted directly without ex vivo perfusion. Remarkably, none of the lungs treated with the HOPE protocol were rejected, and short-term patient outcomes were comparable between both groups.
This breakthrough could transform lung transplantation by allowing more flexible scheduling of surgeries, improving organ matching, and potentially enabling therapeutic interventions to optimize donor lungs before transplantation.
Future Directions
Jennekens emphasized the potential for further advancements: “Extending perfusion times for donor lungs outside of the body will allow for a future in which donor lungs can be optimized with different therapies tailored to specific donor lung types.”
The next steps involve refining preservation strategies to maximize benefits for various donor lung conditions, potentially increasing the number of viable lungs available for transplantation worldwide.
Disclaimer
This article is based on a study presented at a scientific conference and has been reviewed for accuracy. However, the HOPE lung preservation technique is still under clinical evaluation and may not yet be widely available. Patients and healthcare providers should consult relevant medical professionals and guidelines before considering new medical procedures.
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