There is a new technique that can preserve organs longer by keeping them cold. Organs can last for several hours if they are stored at 4 degrees Celsius. The tissue can last for several hours if it is kept at a lower temperature. Studies have shown that the supercool storage system can triple the shelf life of livers from nine hours to 27 hours.
Jedediah Lewis is the president of Organ Preservation Alliance, which is located in Berkeley, California. This is a non-profit organization that does research on various ways to preserve organs. Jedediah was not involved in the study.
Thousands of organs are thrown away each year. There are several reasons that organs are thrown away. In most cases, the doctors cannot find a suitable donor before the organ is no longer viable. Jedediah believes that this new technique will help save countless lives. There are currently 100,000 people in America who are in need of an organ transplant.
The researchers examined the effects that various cryptochemicals had on organ preservation. Glycerol and trehalose were used to protect cells and prevent ice formation. They found that the supercool storage process helped the organs last 27 hours.
Shannon Tessier is a biomedical engineer who works at Harvard And Mass General. She stated that no ice formed on the livers when they were stored for 27 hours. The researchers also inspected the organs for damage and did not find any. All of the organs were still viable.
Malcolm MacConmara is a transplant surgeon who works at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, which is located in Dallas. He stated that the supercooling technique is an elegant piece of work. He also stated that he believes that this technique can also work for hearts and kidneys.
James Shapiro is a transplant surgeon who works at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He hopes that the new storage system will be available in the near future.
