Extending Donor Lung Viability: 10°C Ventilated Preservation & flexiVent
As the demand for donor lungs continues to outpace supply, extending preservation time while maintaining optimal organ quality remains a critical challenge in lung transplantation research. A recent preclinical study published in Scientific Reports by Hill et al (2026) investigated an innovative preservation strategy: combining sub-normothermic storage at 10°C with continuous, low-volume ventilation.
Using a murine donor lung model, researchers compared three distinct preservation methods over a 24-hour period:
- Traditional static storage at 4°C
- Static storage at 10°C
- Ventilated storage at 10°C
The results demonstrated a clear advantage: lungs preserved with ventilation at 10°C showed significant improvements in overall tissue health and pulmonary function.
Key Findings in Ventilated Lung Preservation
By shifting away from traditional cold static storage, the researchers observed profound physiological benefits. Key improvements included:
- Reduced Lung Injury: A noticeable decrease in cellular apoptosis and tissue damage.
- Improved Mitochondrial Health: Lower levels of oxidative stress within the lung cells.
- Decreased Complement Activation: A reduction in immune responses known to contribute to early graft dysfunction.
- Enhanced Respiratory Mechanics: Significantly lower airway resistance and higher lung compliance.
The Role of flexiVent in Assessing Lung Function
To rigorously evaluate the functional impact of each preservation strategy, the research team utilized the flexiVent system. Following the 24-hour storage period, the donor lungs were connected to the flexiVent platform for a comprehensive assessment of pulmonary mechanics.
Using the gold-standard Forced Oscillation Technique (FOT), the flexiVent system accurately measured critical respiratory parameters, including airway resistance, dynamic compliance, tissue elastance and damping, tissue elastance/damping, pressure-volume loops.
Data generated by the flexiVent system revealed that ventilated lungs stored at 10°C exhibited significantly lower airway resistance and improved compliance compared to statically stored lungs. This provided robust, functional evidence that this novel preservation approach helps maintain healthier lung tissue prior to transplantation.
Advancing Preclinical Transplantation Research
These findings highlight the immense potential of combining moderate hypothermia with physiologic ventilation to improve donor lung preservation and potentially extend viable storage times. As researchers continue to optimize organ preservation techniques, advanced lung function measurement platforms like flexiVent remain essential for translating cellular improvements into meaningful, quantifiable preclinical outcomes.
By delivering highly sensitive and reproducible respiratory mechanics measurements, flexiVent enables principal investigators and researchers to quantify the exact impact of novel preservation strategies, accelerating progress toward improved transplant success and higher donor organ utilization rates.
Reference:
Hill MA, Tennant M, Watts B, Atkinson C, O’Neil R, Engelhardt KE, Gibney BC. Evaluation of ventilation at 10 °C as the optimal storage condition for donor lungs in a murine model. Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 4;16(1):7228. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-35943-2. PMID: 41639224; PMCID: PMC12923859.
June, 2026
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