Evaluation of kidney preservation technologies and treatments
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The development of novel perfusion technologies and techniques for the treatment and assessment of kidneys to increase utilisation and improve graft survival.
IRAS ID
308588
Contact name
Michael L Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for patients with end-stage kidney failure. However, there is a shortage of donor organs and many patients wait several years for a transplant. Some kidneys are donated but not used for transplantation because of doubts over their quality. Improving the condition and repairing kidneys before transplantation could increase the number of kidneys transplanted and improve the results.
Donor kidneys are stored in ice during transfer to transplant centres. Although this preserves the kidney, the cold conditions cause damage to the kidney cells. The longer the kidney is kept cold, the more injury it suffers. Some kidneys are not used for transplantation if the time on ice is too long.
A new technique of preservation has been developed that keeps the kidney warm before transplantation. This is called normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). NMP pumps a warmed blood-like solution through the kidney, similar to conditions in the body. Warming the kidney allows doctors to check if the organ works and repairs the damage caused by cold storage. It also allows treatments to be given directly to the kidney. This avoids the need to treat the donor or transplant patient.
This research will develop the use NMP in a number of ways. We will adapt the NMP conditions to allow kidneys to be perfused for longer periods. This will allow us to deliver therapies to the kidney to determine the best treatment and assess their effects before transplantation. These will include: (i) stem cell and other therapies to repair damage; (ii) treatments to prevent viral infections; (iii) use of substances called enzymes to change kidneys to blood group O to avoid the need for blood group matching in transplantation; (iv) a number of different treatments to reduce injury.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
22/WA/0167
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion