Functional recovery of human donor lungs for transplantation

This technology is a regional lung regeneration method that recovers rejected donor organs for transplantation using localized decellularization and cellular repopulation.

Unmet Need: Insufficient donor lungs available for end-stage lung disease patients

Lung transplantation is the only definitive treatment for end-stage lung disease, yet only one in four candidates receives a transplant due to severe organ shortage. Many donor lungs are rejected for transplantation despite being structurally intact because they fail to meet quality functional standards. Current organ preservation methods can keep donor lungs viable during transport but cannot restore function to rejected organs. Previous attempts to regenerate entire lungs have damaged critical blood vessels and required large quantities of cells. A method to recover rejected donor lungs would significantly expand the available organ supply for patients waiting for life-saving transplants.

The Technology: Regional lung regeneration with intact vasculature preservation

This technology employs a dual-perfusion approach to selectively decellularize limited regions of rejected donor lungs while preserving the integrity of the vascular system. A decellularizing solution is perfused through specific airways to remove cellular material from targeted lung segments, while simultaneously perfusing a preservation solution through the pulmonary artery and vein to protect the blood vessels. The decellularized regions retain their structure and extracellular matrix composition, providing a scaffold for repopulation with recipient-derived pulmonary cells. A specialized dual-cannula device enables the precise delivery and removal of decellularization reagents to targeted lung regions, ensuring the complete removal of donor cells while preserving surrounding tissue.

This technology has been validated in human donor lungs rejected for transplantation.

Applications:

• Restoration and preservation of lung tissue for lung transplantation
• Ex vivo conditioning of acutely injured lungs
• Tissue functionality restoration of liver, kidneys, heart, etc.
• Chimeric tissue engineering for use in wound healing
• Ex vivo studies of transplanted organs
• Perfusion system for organ maintenance and use in drug discovery

Advantages:

• Improves gas exchange after lung extraction
• Preserves organ architecture and structure
• Mitigates risk of immune rejection
• Extends life of lung transplant
• Abbreviates procedure time and reduces costs due to localized restoration
• Increases the number of viable lungs for transplantation

Lead Inventor:

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Issued (US 9,888,680)

Related Publications:

• O’Neill JD, Anfang R, Anadappa A, Costa J, Javidfar J, Wobma HM, Singh G, Freytes DO, Bacchetta MD, Sonett JR, Vunjak-Novakovic G. “Decellularization of human and porcine lung tissues for pulmonary tissue engineering.” Ann Thorac Surg, Vol. 96, Issue 3, Sep. 2013, pp. 1046-1056.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU13138, CU19143

• Licensing Contact: Cindy Lang