Scientific advances in the assessment, modification, and generation of transplantable organs for patients with end-stage organ diseases.

Abstract

The large deficit in donated organs required to provide transplantation to patients with end-stage organ disease is a global health crisis, exacerbated by regional differences in clinical practice and available resources. This deficit highlights the need for better tools to determine organ suitability for transplantation and to enhance the recovery of potential donor organs which are currently not transplanted due to concerns about organ quality. Novel organ assessment approaches, including epidemiological predictive models, advanced functional biometrics, and refined histological analysis, show potential to better identify donated organs suitable for transplantation. In addition, novel machine perfusion platforms have shown remarkable capacities to preserve and potentially modify injured organs, and a series of xenotransplantation experiments suggest a viable pathway to create a new organ supply. Collectively, these technologies will gradually alleviate the organ shortage and expand access to life-saving transplants.