Liver preservation: is there anything new yet?

Publication/Presentation Date

4-1-2008

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide an update on recent developments in liver preservation through a comprehensive review of the literature.

RECENT FINDINGS: Comparisons of the available preservation solutions for liver transplantation based on recent trials suggest clinical equivalence. The debate continues regarding risk of biliary-tract complications. Development of new preservation solutions and agents that target specific mechanisms of steatotic and donors after cardiac death pathophysiology is showing promise in a variety of preclinical and clinical studies. Early clinical results of ischemic preconditioning are conflicting and so there is the need for additional clinical studies. The most important developments have been in the machine perfusion of the liver. New portable perfusion systems have shown promise in preclinical studies and may allow rapid evolution of clinical liver machine perfusion. The first human clinical trial is well underway with results showing safety and improved efficacy of preservation of transplanted human liver allografts.

SUMMARY: Liver preservation is in a period of rapid advance. In the future, a multifaceted liver-preservation strategy that integrates pharmacologic agents and hypothermic machine perfusion is likely to minimize organ injury and maximize patient outcomes. An ongoing challenge is to increase the number of innovations entering prospective and randomized clinical trials.

Volume

13

Issue

2

First Page

148

Last Page

154

ISSN

1531-7013

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

18685295

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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