Knowra Cold storage of organs Cold storage of organs Cold storage preserves organs outside the body by lowering their temperature to slow metabolism and tissue damage. It is used to keep organs viable for transplantation or research.
Ischemia-reperfusion injury : Tissue damage caused when blood supply returns after a period of reduced or absent circulation. Cold storage limits injury during ischemia, but reperfusion after implantation can trigger a second wave of damage.
Normothermic machine perfusion : Organ preservation using circulating oxygenated perfusate at near-physiological temperature. Unlike cold storage, it supports active metabolism and can allow assessment before transplantation.
Kidney transplantation : The surgical transfer of a donor kidney to a person with kidney failure. Kidneys tolerate cold storage relatively well, enabling longer transport and scheduling than several other organs.
Organ transplantation : The transfer of an organ from a donor to a recipient to replace a failing organ. Cold storage makes transplantation across distance and time possible, while imposing limits on both.
Organ cryopreservation : Preservation of whole organs at cryogenic temperatures for storage over extended periods. It could exceed cold-storage time limits, but ice damage, toxicity, and rewarming remain major barriers.
Hypothermia : A state in which body or tissue temperature falls below its normal range. Organ storage uses controlled hypothermia to slow cellular metabolism without freezing tissue.
Hypothermic machine perfusion : Organ preservation by circulating chilled solution through its blood vessels. It retains cooling while adding flow, unlike static immersion in cold solution.
Liver transplantation : The replacement of a diseased or failing liver with a donor liver. Liver grafts are commonly stored cold, though prolonged ischemia can impair early function.
Donation after circulatory death : Organ donation after death has been declared by permanent cessation of circulation. These grafts may undergo warm ischemia before cooling, increasing preservation challenges.
Organ banking : The collection and long-term storage of organs for later transplantation or research. Reliable organ banking would require preservation far beyond current cold-storage windows.
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