A small shift in temperature could have a big effect on how lung transplants are performed worldwide – CTV
April 9, 2023
TORONTO – Canadian transplant scientists say they may be able to help boost the number of lungs available for transplants, all with a simple tweak of temperature.
They’ve been conducting studies that show that storing lungs at 10 C, warmer than the current standard of 4 C, is better for lungs harvested for transplant. They’ve also created a world-first cooler that they say stays at 10 C, boosting the shelf life of a donor’s lungs from six hours to up to 36 hours, and perhaps longer.
“There’s a huge interest in people all over the world because…it’s a simple solution. It’s not that complex,” said Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, a thoracic surgeon and chief of innovation at the University Health Network (UHN).
According to the most recent data available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, more than 220 people are waiting across the country for a lung transplant.
