Hormonal resuscitation and p38 MAP kinase inhibition to enhance quality of cadaveric donor organs for transplantation

Funded Activity Summary

The transplantation of organs such as the heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas from brain-dead donors is limited primarily by the shortage of donor organs. It is now recognised that as many as 25% (one in four) potentially usuable donor organs are lost after brain death due to the rapid deterioration that occurs in organs after brain death. There is evidence that this deterioration is due to loss of the normal hormones that are essential to the normal functioning of these organs. In this project, we will use a pig model of brain death that we have extablished in our laboratory to examine the effects of hormone replacement on the function of organs that are used for transplantation. We will also test a novel drug aimed at protecting donor organs during the period between removal of the organ and transplantation. If successful, these treatments have the potential to markedly increase the numbers of organ transplants and to improve the outcomes for recipients of these transplants. In the Australian and New Zealand setting, a 25% increase in the number of donor organs would results in approximately 220 more people per year receiving these life-saving operations.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $469,500.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Intensive Care

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

abdominal organ transplantation | cadaveric multi-organ donor | hormonal resuscitation | ischaemia/reperfusion injury | management of the brain-dead multi-organ donor | p38 MAP kinase inhibition | solid organ transplantation | thoracic organ transplantation

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