Advances in Organ Preservation

Organ transplants save thousands of lives every year, but one problem has always been time. Once an organ is removed, there is only a limited amount of time to deliver it to a patient until the organ is no longer usable, making healthcare professionals work fast. Before advancements in technologies, ice or cold storage would be a main source of preservation. Now, evolving technologies have transformed the process of organ preservation, reshaping transplant and donor utilization. 

A traditional method of organ preservation was static cold storage, which involved leaving organs on ice to slow down cell activity. Though it was successful in most cases, damage on the outside was still a risk. Any wrong move, even small, could damage the organ externally and make it unusable for a patient. Now, scientists have developed a technique called Machine Profusion. This kept the organ “alive” outside the body by using a machine to pump rich nutrients through them. 

Another new method scientists have developed is Normothermic Machine Profusion. This machine simulates the conditions of a real human body, allowing organs, like kidneys, and livers, to function regularly and stay active. This method allows organs to repair themselves and allows doctors to test to see if the organ is functioning correctly, decreasing the risk of transplant failure.

In order to keep the organs working even after death before removal, scientists have come up with a system called Nomothermic Regional Profusion. This technique restores blood flow to the organs of a deceased person who has experienced cardiac death, making it so organs are able to be used. This allows a safer organ recovery. Similarly, a system called Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion provides air and nutrients via a machine to the lungs, allowing doctors to clean and repair them, even if they were extremely damaged. 

A new technique is currently being experimented and developed. Supercooling and vitrification stores organs below freezing temperatures without freezing them solid. Similar to static cold storage, this allows cell activity to slow down. A technique called Nanowarming can safely reheat the frozen organ using magnetic particles. These new developments can one day make long-term organ storage, or even organ banks, possible. 

Overall, with new developing technologies, progress and new developments scientists have made throughout recent years have allowed them to save millions of lives. These new technologies are making it possible to store organs longer, preserve their tissues, and help more patients in the future.

Written by Sofia Bonilla at Incisionary

References

Berkane, Y., & colleagues. (2023). Supercooling: A promising technique for prolonged organ preservation. Frontiers in Transplantation.

Han, Z., et al. (2023). Vitrification and nanowarming enable long-term organ cryopreservation and successful transplantation in a rodent model. Nature Communications, 14.

Nakata, K. (2025). Ex-vivo lung perfusion: Recent advancements and future directions. Frontiers in Immunology.

Silpe, S., & colleagues. (2024). Normothermic regional perfusion procurement for organ recovery: Recent experience and outcomes. PubMed.

Yemaneberhan, K. H., & colleagues. (2024). Beyond the icebox: Modern strategies in organ preservation. Transplantation Reviews.