Novel Organ Perfusion and Preservation Strategies in Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death in Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation

Background: Kidney and pancreatic transplants from controlled donation after circulatory death donors are vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injuries. In this context of transplant shortage, there is a need to optimize the function of these transplants and to develop novel perfusion and preservation strategies in controlled donation after circulatory death in kidney and pancreatic transplants.

In situ perfusion and preservation strategies: In situ regional normothermic perfusion improves the outcome of kidney transplants from controlled donation after circulatory death and provides equivalent results for the kidney from brain-dead donors. In situ regional normothermic perfusion is under investigation for pancreatic transplants.

Ex situ perfusion and preservation strategies: Perfusion on hypothermic machine perfusion is highly recommended for the kidney from controlled donation after cardiac death. Hypothermic oxygenated perfusion machine decreases the rate of graft rejection and graft failure in kidney transplantation. Ex situ normothermic perfusion is an easy way to assess renal function. In the future, kidney transplants could benefit from drug therapy during ex situ normothermic perfusion. In pancreas transplantation, hypothermic machine perfusion and ex situ normothermic perfusion present encouraging results in preclinical studies.