Storing donor lungs at warmer temperatures keeps them viable far longer, study finds
Storing donor lungs at a slightly warmer temperature – 10 degrees Celsius instead of 4 degrees – can make the organs viable for six times as long as traditional preservation methods for transplants, a new study found.
For decades, cold organ storage has relied on a simple ice cooler and a gold standard of 4 degrees. The new paper, published in Science Translational Medicine, may eventually change that practice and help erase some of the limitations that make it difficult for patients to receive successful and timely organ transplants, senior author Marcelo Cypel, surgical director of the transplant program at University Health Network in Toronto, told STAT.
