PHOENIX — Researchers at Mayo Clinic, in collaboration with the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, have developed a real-time monitoring system designed to give transplant teams a more complete picture of a donor liver's health during machine perfusion. Published in Nature Communications, the study represents an important step toward more accurate evaluation of donor livers, laying the groundwork for future advances in organ preservation and transplantation.

During machine perfusion, a donor liver is connected to a device that pumps oxygen-rich fluid through the organ while outside the body.

"Machine perfusion is opening the door to a future where we don't just evaluate organs, we treat them and even improve them before transplant," says Michelle Nguyen, M.D., a transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and co-corresponding author of the study. "But to get there, we first need better ways to understand how an organ is performing in real time. That's what this technology is built to provide."

Today's monitoring methods rely on manually collecting fluid samples from the organ every 30 to 60 minutes, testing them on point-of-care devices or sending them to a laboratory for analysis. Those periodic snapshots may miss important changes occurring between samples. Detecting biochemical changes or signs that organ health is declining early allows clinicians and perfusionists to intervene before permanent damage occurs.

To address this challenge, researchers developed a new wireless sensor platform that continuously measures glucose, lactate and pH in both the perfusion fluid and bile; streaming results to the care team in real time.

In the study, the sensor's measurements closely matched standard laboratory testing while also detecting brief biochemical changes between routine sampling intervals. The findings suggest that real-time monitoring of bile, in addition to perfusion fluid, may provide valuable information about the health of the donated liver that current approaches may be unable to detect.

"Every organ donated is incredibly valuable," Dr. Nguyen says. "By giving transplant teams a clearer understanding of an organ's health, we're working toward a future where more donated livers can safely reach the patients who need them most."

Researchers note that larger studies will be needed to further evaluate the technology and its potential to improve donor organ assessment. Looking ahead, the team is working to expand the sensor platform to capture additional markers of organ health, creating a more comprehensive assessment panel. Researchers also plan to adapt the technology for other organs, including the kidney, heart and lung.

The study was co-led by Dr. Nguyen and Yangzhi Zhu, Ph.D., of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation.

For a complete list of authors and disclosures, review the study.

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About Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
Mayo Clinic Transplant Center is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world. With programs in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo Clinic provides seamless, coordinated care across adult heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation. Guided by a commitment to innovation, research and education, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center delivers world-leading outcomes, compassionate patient care and advances that shape the future of transplantation worldwide.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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