Improving Cardiothoracic Organs Utilisation Project V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Maximising the utilisation of cardiothoracic organs for transplantation by optimising their quality pre-transplant and improving outcomes post-transplant
IRAS ID
334138
Contact name
Marius Berman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
P03116, Protocol number for the first project -- HEART-REHAB
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Cardiothoracic transplantation is a life-saving procedure for select patients with end-stage heart and/or lung failure. Every year, the number of patients waiting for a cardiothoracic transplant constantly outstrips the amount of transplants performed. As a result, our patients have a median waiting time of 845 days for a heart transplant and 594 days for a lung transplant, if they are stable enough to wait at home. Approximately a fourth of our patients either die or become unsuitable for transplant. However, at the same time, only 35% of the donated hearts and 15% of the donated lungs are accepted for transplantation. Although the reasons for the low utilisation rate differ slightly between heart and lungs, the ultimate common underlying reason is that the post-transplant mortality and morbidity rates are relatively high and closely related to organ quality. While expanding the donor pool through improving the consent rate is important, novel technology and scientific advances can play a key role in increasing the organ utilisation rate. For example, the use of ex-situ normothermic perfusion technology makes transplantation with circulatory death donor hearts a clinical reality, increasing the heart transplant activity by 30%.
Human cardiothoracic organs that are not suitable for clinical use but donated for research are an invaluable resource for scientific and clinical discoveries, as the results are directly translational. The recruitment of human cardiothoracic organs has greatly expanded our knowledge about cardiothoracic organs and transplantation in general. This research initiative has been developed to facilitate the projects that use novel technology and therapy to help improve cardiothoracic donor organ utilisation rate.
For the first study included in this overarching project, the HEART-REHAB study, we aim to evaluate the efficacy of a novel cardioprotective drug, IB324, on human donor hearts.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
25/WA/0133
Date of REC Opinion
27 May 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion