Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Lung transplantation is the only lifesaving treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease; however, there is a shortage of acceptable lungs for transplant. Forty percent of patients awaiting lung transplantation die before quality lungs are available. Many donor lungs are rejected because they are low-quality or too far away to transport safely. A solution is needed that can repair sick lungs and increase safe transport times. Currently, lungs are transported on ice in a cooler, but this does not allow for treatment of the lungs and transport time is limited to 6 hours. The solution is a new technology called Ex-Situ Lung Perfusion (ESLP). ESLP is a machine that connects to donor lungs and performs two tasks: 1) ventilation machinery keeps the lungs breathing artificially, which protects them from injury 2) an electric pump flushes a nutrient-rich fluid through the lung blood vessels to support health. A computer monitors lung function, and the lungs can be supported to prolong transport time and improve organ quality. In some centres, ESLP has increased donor lung utilization rates by 20%. Most ESLP devices ventilate the lungs with forced air, like inflating a balloon. Our device uniquely uses an air-tight chamber and a vacuum force to pull the lungs open and draw air inward, called negative pressure ventilation (NPV). This method is more natural and gentler because it replicates how humans breathe by sucking air into the lungs. In this project, we aim is to improve NPV-ESLP and increase the organ donor pool. Experiments to determine the ideal temperature, flow rate, and composition of the circulating fluid will be carried out using lungs from pigs, followed by their transplantation in a recipient pig to assess their function. The proposed studies will help to develop new techniques to save donor lungs and the lives of transplant patients.