Organ transplantation is a life-saving procedure that has given hope to millions of people with end-stage organ failure.

However, one of the biggest challenges in organ transplantation is the short window of time between organ harvesting and transplantation. This is particularly true for liver transplantation, where the organ’s viability deteriorates fast, making it challenging to find a suitable recipient.

But, a new device developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and Kings College London could change this.

The device, called “Normothermic Machine Perfusion” (NMP), is a revolutionary new technology that could extend the window of time for liver transplantation.

What is NMP?

Normothermic Machine Perfusion is a medical technology that preserves and repairs organs outside of the human body.

It works by restoring the organ’s natural functions, like oxygen and nutrient exchange, while keeping the organ at body temperature. This process is known as “perfusing” the organ.

NMP can extend the time a liver can survive outside the human body from hours to approximately 24 hours, during which time the organ can be tested for its suitability for transplantation, repaired if necessary and prepared for surgery.

How does NMP Work?

NMP works by simulating the conditions of the human body, keeping the liver at body temperature, maintaining its blood supply, and providing the necessary nutrients and oxygen.

The device also has sensors that can monitor the liver’s condition and the quality of the blood it receives.

During NMP, the liver is connected to a machine that pumps a special solution through it, which contains nutrients, oxygen, and medicines.

The liver is kept at regular body temperature, which is around 37°C, and the system is kept sterile to prevent any infection. The machine’s sensors continuously monitor the liver’s functions and allow doctors to adjust the machine’s settings to optimize the organ’s performance.

The aim of NMP is to keep the liver healthy and functional until it can be transplanted into a suitable recipient.

Benefits of NMP

The benefits of NMP are multiple. It allows doctors to test, repair and prepare the organ before transplantation, increasing the success rate of liver transplants and reducing the risk of complications.

NMP also enables transplantation from donors who had previously been considered unusable due to various factors, including cold ischemia time, steatosis, or age.

According to Dr. Richard Laing, deputy director of the Transplantation Research Immunology Group at the University of Oxford, “NMP is a game-changer for liver transplantation.

It gives us a much bigger window to assess the organ’s quality, repair it if necessary, and make sure that it is in optimal condition before transplantation. This means that we can transplant more livers, with better outcomes, and save more lives. “.

Current Challenges in Liver Transplantation

As of now, liver transplantation is a challenging procedure with many variables that affect the success rate. Some of these challenges include finding a suitable liver donor, the number of organs available, and the viability of the donated liver.

One of the biggest challenges is the short window of time between harvesting the organ and transplantation.

Liver function deteriorates quickly once it has been removed from the body, making it challenging to transport and evaluate it. This results in a high rate of discarded livers despite the increasing demand for organ transplantation.

According to UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing), only 36% of donors who died of brain death and donated organs between 2014 and 2018 provided organs that were transplanted into recipients.

The biggest reason for liver discard is steatosis, or liver fat deposition that makes the organ less viable for transplantation, affecting up to 60% of potential donor livers.

NMP Solutions to Liver Transplantation Challenges

NMP offers promising solutions to several liver transplantation challenges.

NMP can evaluate the liver’s viability

With NMP, doctors can evaluate the liver in a controlled environment, measuring its vital functions to detect any abnormalities.

They can also check for a set of biomarkers that predict the liver’s susceptibility to injury during transplantation, allowing them to choose the most suitable donor liver for transplantation.

NMP can restore liver function and improve its quality

During NMP, doctors can repair the liver, remove fat deposits, and flush it with nutrients, allowing it to “wake up” and perform its functions optimally.

This can improve the quality of the liver and increase the chances of a successful transplant. NMP can also help repair other graft injuries like ischemia which is caused by the shortage of oxygen and nutrients to the liver, which results in cell death.

NMP can extend the transplant window

With NMP, doctors have a longer window of time to assess the liver’s quality, repair it if necessary and prepare it for transplantation, increasing the chances of successful transplantation.

NMP can increase the number of livers available for transplantation

NMP allows for livers that would have previously been discarded to be re-evaluated and potentially transplanted, increasing the number of available organs for transplantation.

This could be a game-changer in liver transplantation, addressing the critical organ shortage issue and allowing more patients to receive life-saving transplants.

NMP and the Future of Liver Transplantation

NMP is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to transform liver transplantation.

It extends the window of time available for organ transplantation, improves liver function, and allows doctors to evaluate the liver’s viability before transplantation.

NMP is still in the research and trial phase, but studies show that it is a promising technology and has already started to make a difference in liver transplantation.

According to a study, NMP increased liver viability from 50-70% to over 90%, reducing the number of discarded donor organs.

NMP can also potentially be used for other organs like the kidneys, pancreas, and heart, increasing the number of viable donor organs.

In conclusion, NMP is a revolutionary technology that could change the future of liver transplantation.

It offers many benefits, including extending the window of time for transplantation, evaluating liver viability before transplantation, and improving liver function. While still in the clinical trial phase, it has shown promising results and has the potential to save countless lives worldwide.