Scientists patch damaged lungs for transplanting
As of today only 15% of donor lungs are considered suitable for transplantation. This statistic alone is reason enough to crush the hopes of those waiting for this life saving procedure. And to add to these low odds, employing current techniques of transplantation, the 5-year survival rate of patients who have been lucky enough to be a recipient of donor lungs is approximately 50%. This number is greatly below those of heart transplants, liver transplants, and kidney transplants.
The lungs that are discarded are usually done so not because they are diseased, but because they are damaged while trying to save the donor or massive inflammation caused by brain death (the most common requirement for organ donation). If the lungs are not damaged and undergo transplantation, there is still a long list of problems that can be incurred including bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). BOS is the chronic rejection of the transplant lungs and is the leading cause of death in recipients of lung donations.
New research is being conducted to fight the battle to increase the numbers of successful lung transplants on two different fronts. First, the study is aimed at saving donated lungs that would otherwise be judged as unsuitable for transplantation. And second, to try to stop post transplantation damage. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee approached the problem with a two part solution. First, his team created atmosphere mimicking the body in which the lungs would be placed. The lungs would be pumped with oxygen and proteins simulating the body without the blood. Second, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee inserted a gene which produces a substance called interleukin-10 (IL-10). One of IL-10’s jobs is to reduce inflammation. Currently lungs are stored on ice to reduce deterioration of the tissue. Unfortunately, ice also keeps IL-10 from doing its job. And if the IL-10 lasts long enough, it could help with inflammation after the lungs have been transplanted.
Using lungs from pigs and damaged lungs from human donors, the team has seen great improvements in the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Although this is a great step towards the team’s goal, they realize there is still a ways to go. Optimistically, the team believes within the next year damaged lungs that would have been discarded will be treated and used for transplantation in humans.
Each step forward gives hope to those on a list waiting for a miracle. And for those of us who can’t or could not do anything for those we love but wait and pray, it seems an answer to our prayers is on its way. If too late for our loved ones, then for those who can be saved in the future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091028/ap_on_he_me/us_med_donated_lungs
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/1/4/4ps5.full
The lungs that are discarded are usually done so not because they are diseased, but because they are damaged while trying to save the donor or massive inflammation caused by brain death (the most common requirement for organ donation). If the lungs are not damaged and undergo transplantation, there is still a long list of problems that can be incurred including bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). BOS is the chronic rejection of the transplant lungs and is the leading cause of death in recipients of lung donations.
New research is being conducted to fight the battle to increase the numbers of successful lung transplants on two different fronts. First, the study is aimed at saving donated lungs that would otherwise be judged as unsuitable for transplantation. And second, to try to stop post transplantation damage. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee approached the problem with a two part solution. First, his team created atmosphere mimicking the body in which the lungs would be placed. The lungs would be pumped with oxygen and proteins simulating the body without the blood. Second, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee inserted a gene which produces a substance called interleukin-10 (IL-10). One of IL-10’s jobs is to reduce inflammation. Currently lungs are stored on ice to reduce deterioration of the tissue. Unfortunately, ice also keeps IL-10 from doing its job. And if the IL-10 lasts long enough, it could help with inflammation after the lungs have been transplanted.
Using lungs from pigs and damaged lungs from human donors, the team has seen great improvements in the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Although this is a great step towards the team’s goal, they realize there is still a ways to go. Optimistically, the team believes within the next year damaged lungs that would have been discarded will be treated and used for transplantation in humans.
Each step forward gives hope to those on a list waiting for a miracle. And for those of us who can’t or could not do anything for those we love but wait and pray, it seems an answer to our prayers is on its way. If too late for our loved ones, then for those who can be saved in the future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091028/ap_on_he_me/us_med_donated_lungs
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/1/4/4ps5.full
posted by Derek Phillips at 4:34 PM
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