Keeping donor hearts healthy outside the body for longer
Prolonged Normothermic Ex vivo Heart Perfusion (NEVHP)
This project aims to find new ways to keep donor hearts alive and healthy for several days outside the body, which could make heart transplants easier and more successful for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11115877 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research is exploring how to keep donor hearts viable for much longer periods, up to three days, while they are outside a human body. Currently, donor hearts must be transplanted very quickly, but this project uses special techniques like plasma exchange and continuous hemofiltration to nourish and maintain the heart. By extending this time, doctors could treat the heart, confirm its function, and find a near-perfect match for patients needing a transplant. This could also increase the number of available donor hearts and make heart transplantation a more planned procedure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who are currently waiting for a heart transplant or may need one in the future could potentially benefit from the advancements made by this research.
Not a fit: Patients who do not require a heart transplant or are not candidates for such a procedure would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could significantly increase the availability of donor hearts, improve matching for recipients, and make heart transplant surgeries more predictable and elective.
How similar studies have performed: While short-term ex vivo perfusion is used, achieving routinely successful prolonged perfusion for multiple days is a novel and largely untested approach in this context.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rojas-Pena, Alvaro — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Rojas-Pena, Alvaro
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.