Making more donor hearts available safely using warm regional perfusion after circulatory death
Investigating Donor Authorization and Public Perceptions of Normothermic Regional Perfusion to Inform Ethical Organ Donation Practices
This project looks at using a warm perfusion technique that restarts circulation in donors to increase high-quality hearts for people waiting for transplants while addressing consent and ethical concerns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321587 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are examining normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), a method that restores circulation in donors after circulatory death to reduce organ injury and potentially increase usable hearts. They will compare NRP to existing perfusion approaches and study how widely NRP could be implemented at transplant centers. The team will gather opinions from patients, donor families, the public, and transplant professionals and review donor authorization documents and legal issues to understand ethical concerns. Their goal is to create practical guidance that could make safe transplants more available while respecting donor wishes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People on heart transplant waiting lists, their families, and potential organ donors or registered donors are the groups most directly relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to organ transplantation or those not eligible for transplant are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase the number of usable donor hearts and reduce deaths on the transplant waiting list.
How similar studies have performed: Some U.S. transplant programs have adopted NRP and early reports suggest it can increase usable organs, but comparative effectiveness and ethical acceptance are still being clarified.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parent, Brendan — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Parent, Brendan
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.