Scientists at Texas A&M University have developed a supercooling method allowing pig kidneys to be stored at -4 °C for up to 72 hours without ice damage and successfully transplanted, potentially transforming organ preservation.
- New device supercools kidneys to -4 °C without ice damage
- Pig kidneys preserved up to 72 hours and successfully transplanted
- Potential to reduce organ wastage and save transplant waiting lives
What happened
A research team led by Matthew Powell Palm at Texas A&M University created a supercooling device that cools kidneys to approximately -4 °C without forming ice crystals, which typically cause tissue damage. This is accomplished by submerging the organ in a preservation solution inside a pressurized, sealed chamber.
The scientists tested the device on pig kidneys, storing them for periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours before transplanting them back into the original donors. Upon transplantation, the supercooled kidneys resumed function immediately and exhibited signs of better performance relative to organs stored by conventional cold methods using ice at about 4 °C.
Why it matters
Organ transplantation is severely limited by the short storage times possible with current cooling methods, typically around 24 hours on ice. This short window leads to significant organ wastage and contributes to the high mortality rate among people waiting for transplants.
In the United States alone, over 104,000 people await kidney transplants, with numerous kidneys discarded annually due to deterioration during transport. Extending storage times with this supercooling method could improve organ viability and availability, thereby saving lives and making transplantation logistics more flexible.
What to watch next
If successful, this innovation could also be adapted for other organs, helping to alleviate the global shortage of transplantable organs and revolutionizing the field of organ preservation and transplantation.