Scientists are testing supercooling and machine perfusion to overcome the time constraints that limit donor organ transplants.
Key facts
- •Donor organs typically survive only a few hours outside the body when stored on ice.
- •Matthew Powell Palm’s team successfully stored pig kidneys at −4 °C for days without cryoprotectants.
- •Machine perfusion devices are currently used to maintain livers and kidneys for approximately 24 hours.
- •Researchers in Valencia used a device called “Mother” to preserve a human uterus for one day.
- •Cryopreservation of human organs for transplantation has not yet been successfully achieved.
Donor organs currently survive only hours outside the body, creating significant logistical challenges for matching and transport. Researchers are now exploring new preservation techniques, including supercooling and machine perfusion, to extend the window of viability for organs intended for transplantation.
By the numbers
Supercooling Pig Kidneys
Researcher Matthew Powell Palm and his colleagues have achieved a milestone by successfully supercooling pig kidneys at −4 °C (25 °F) for several days. These organs were subsequently reimplanted into pigs and performed better than kidneys stored using traditional ice-based methods. This approach is notable because it does not require the use of cryoprotectant chemicals, which are often used to prevent ice crystal damage in other cryopreservation contexts.
Challenges in Cryopreservation
While cryopreservation—rapid cooling to temperatures like −196 °C—is a routine procedure for eggs, sperm, and embryos, it remains elusive for whole human organs. The primary obstacle is the formation of ice crystals, which cause irreversible tissue damage. Although some individuals have opted for cryonics, where brains or bodies are stored at ultra-low temperatures, there is no evidence that these organs can be successfully thawed and reanimated for transplantation.
Advances in Machine Perfusion
Machine perfusion devices, which mimic the body by pumping nutrients through an organ, are becoming increasingly common for maintaining livers and kidneys for up to 24 hours. Researchers are now expanding this technology to other organs, including eyeballs, to potentially enable new transplant procedures. In Valencia, scientists have developed a perfusion system nicknamed “Mother” that successfully kept a human uterus alive for one day.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by MIT Technology Review.
