Pressure-based way to keep donated livers safe just below freezing
Official title: Developing pressure-modulated means for high-subzero liver preservation
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11380703 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops a pressure-assisted cold storage method to keep donated livers usable for longer so more people needing liver transplants can get organs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $327,091 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK136805-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380703 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People listed for liver transplant, including those with acute liver failure or end-stage chronic liver disease, would be the future candidates to receive livers preserved with this method or to participate in related clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who need other organs (heart, kidney, lung) or those not eligible for transplant would not directly benefit from this liver-focused preservation work.
What this research studies
This research team is combining controlled pressure with cold temperatures to prevent damaging ice from forming inside donated livers, which would let organs be stored at high-subzero temperatures. By raising pressure around the organ they aim to lower the amount of toxic cryoprotectant fluids needed, and they will test these conditions on livers using lab perfusion and preservation experiments. The work focuses on the liver because longer storage could help people with acute or chronic liver failure get transplants sooner. If the lab tests work, the method could move toward testing in transplant centers to see if preserved organs remain safe and functional for recipients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase the number of usable donor livers, reduce organ discard, and give transplant patients better timing and outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Machine perfusion and other preservation advances have improved organ use, but using elevated pressure to enable high-subzero cryopreservation is a novel approach that has limited prior human testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rabin, Yoed — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Rabin, Yoed
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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.