Professor Pierre-Alain Clavien and Prof Philipp Dutkowski transplant the liver that was treated in a machine. PA
Professor Pierre-Alain Clavien and Prof Philipp Dutkowski transplant the liver that was treated in a machine. PA
Professor Pierre-Alain Clavien and Prof Philipp Dutkowski transplant the liver that was treated in a machine. PA
Professor Pierre-Alain Clavien and Prof Philipp Dutkowski transplant the liver that was treated in a machine. PA

Damaged liver treated for three days and transplanted successfully


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

A damaged human liver has been successfully transplanted after being kept viable on a machine for three days, researchers have said.

The damaged organ was treated and preserved on a machine before being transplanted into a liver cancer patient where it functioned normally, according to findings published in the Nature Biotechnology journal.

Under normal circumstances, organs can be stored for only 12 hours.

Researchers say the development may save lives because it will increase the number of livers available for transplant and allow surgery to be scheduled days in advance.

Prof Pierre-Alain Clavien, at University Hospital Zurich, showed the liver can be preserved for three days outside of a body using a machine performing a technique known as ex situ normothermic perfusion. That means the organ is supplied with a blood substitute at normal body temperature while outside the body.

“Our therapy shows that by treating livers in the perfusion machine, it is possible to alleviate the lack of functioning human organs and save lives,” Prof Clavien said.

Prof Pierre-Alain Clavien with the patient who left hospital after a successful transplantation. PA
Prof Pierre-Alain Clavien with the patient who left hospital after a successful transplantation. PA

The machine mimicked the human body as accurately as possible to provide ideal conditions for human livers.

According to the study, the team prepared the liver with various drugs, making it suitable for transplant even though it was originally not approved for the procedure.

The liver was transplanted into the patient, who was suffering from several serious liver conditions, including end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.

The transplanted organ functioned normally with minimal injury, as blood flow from internal blood vessels returned, the researchers found.

The patient was able to leave hospital a few days later. “I am very grateful for the life-saving organ,” he said.

“Due to my rapidly progressing tumour, I had little chance of getting a liver from the waiting list within a reasonable period of time.”

There is a growing gap between demand for liver transplants and the small number of available organs.

As clinical practice is to store donor livers for no more than about 12 hours on ice before transplantation, the number of organs that can be matched to transplant recipients is also limited.

The new technique opens the possibility that machines can keep livers healthy and viable for days rather than hours.

Mark Tibbitt, professor of macromolecular engineering at ETH Zurich, said: “The interdisciplinary approach to solving complex biomedical challenges embodied in this project is the future of medicine.

“This will allow us to use new findings even more quickly for treating patients.”

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SPECS
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STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
Destroyer

Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan

Rating: 3/5 

UAE release: January 31 

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
%3Cp%3E%0DDeveloper%3A%20Ubisoft%20Bordeaux%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Ubisoft%0D%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20Series%20S%26amp%3BX%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
World Series

Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)

* if needed

Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday

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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Updated: June 20, 2023, 12:04 PM`