New tech keeps lungs living and breathing in a box, while waiting for transplant

Organ Care System, short for OCS, is a new, revolutionary machine capable of increasing the life span of donated lungs by literally keeping them alive and functioning once they’ve been removed from a human body. Similar to the “heart-in-a-box” machine used to keep hearts alive and beating, the system counters many of the issues faced by conventional transplant methods.

The standard procedure for transporting a donated organ involves freezing said organ, keeping it under cold storage until it reaches the recipient, and subsequently reviving it. However, this method is severely flawed; donated organs progressively deteriorate to the point of being unusable. Factor in transportation time and the low supply, and you can see why the waiting list for organ donation is so long.

Dr. Abbas Ardehali, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the heart and lung transplantation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center state “Organs were never meant to be frozen on ice. Lungs are very sensitive and can easily be damaged during the donation process. The cold storage method does not allow for reconditioning of the lungs before transplantation, but this promising 'breathing lung' technology enables us to potentially improve the function of the donor lungs before they are placed in the recipient.” The declining condition of the organ forces the recipient’s body to compensate for the deficit, which may increase the risk of organ-rejection.

 
Organs can also be monitored in OCS to determine their state of health

OCS simultaneously counters both obstacles: preservation and supply. Once a lung is extracted from the donor’s body, it is immediately revived to a warm and breathing state similar to how it was in a living body, effectively lengthening its lifespan. Next the lung is reconditioned with a special solution containing red-blood cells and antibiotics to refurbish the organ into a healthier state than before removal. To greater extent, OCS’ capacity to revitalize unusable lungs is drastic, creating an influx of supply that can save the lives of thousands.

The first “breathing lung” transplant was accomplished this last November by a team of doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA medical. The procedure successfully replaced the lung of a 57-year-old sufferer of pulmonary fibrosis, a disease which replaces the lung’s permeable air sacs with rigid scar tissue. UCLA is currently spearheading the US branch of international multistage OCS testing; its success has expanded the research to lung transplant centers in Canada, Europe, and Australia, and will include 264 randomized patients.

Story via Aljazeera