Making donated lungs last longer after transplant
Immunoengineering of donor lungs to optimize long-term graft function
This project uses gene editing and immune therapies applied to donor lungs during outside-the-body preservation to reduce inflammation and help transplant patients keep their new lungs longer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University Health Network NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toronto, Canada) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249981 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you need a lung transplant, donated lungs will be kept breathing and warm on a special machine called ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP). While the lungs are on EVLP, researchers will apply targeted gene editing and immune-regulatory cell approaches to boost anti-inflammatory signals like IL-10 and introduce regulatory T cells that resist common drugs. The team aims to repair marginal donor lungs, lower the chance of early and chronic rejection, and expand the pool of usable organs. These steps are done before the lung is put into a person, with the goal of improving long-term graft function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people listed for lung transplantation or those receiving donor lungs at transplant centers that use the EVLP platform, especially if offered a marginal lung treated on EVLP.
Not a fit: People who are not eligible for lung transplantation or who need other organ transplants would not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower early graft failure and chronic rejection, improving survival and quality of life after lung transplant.
How similar studies have performed: EVLP is an established technique and early lab work supports IL-10 and regulatory T cell strategies, but applying somatic cell gene editing during EVLP is a newer, emerging approach.
Where this research is happening
Toronto, Canada
- University Health Network — Toronto, Canada (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Keshavjee, Shaf — University Health Network
- Study coordinator: Keshavjee, Shaf
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.