'Back-to-base' combined hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion of human donor livers.

Summary: There is a critical shortage of healthy livers available for transplant, forcing doctors to often use "high-risk" organs from older or sicker donors. These organs are fragile and can be easily damaged by the traditional method of keeping them on ice during transport. Researchers have developed a new "back-to-base" protocol to fix this. First, the liver is transported to the hospital on ice. Once it arrives, it is placed in a machine that pumps cool, oxygenated fluid through it (DHOPE) to recharge the cells' batteries. Then, the machine slowly warms the liver (COR) up to body temperature (NMP) to mimic the human body. This allows doctors to "test drive" the organ and ensure it is functioning correctly before transplanting it into a patient. This method could make many more livers safe for transplant, saving more lives.