Elucidating Molecular Pathways in Hepatocellular Recovery During NMP to Identify Safe Livers for Transplantation

Background: Shortage of high-quality organs is the greatest unmet need in liver transplantation (LTx). To address this need, marginal livers (i.e. steatotic or DCD with prolonged ischemia) are increasingly considered for LTx, despite increased risk of recipient complications. Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) offers a promising solution to improve preservation, perform functional assessment and deliver therapeutic interventions to marginal grafts. This study investigates the molecular pathways involved in injury and recovery in viable and nonviable livers during NMP using whole-genome RNAseq, with goal of identifying reliable biomarkers for transplantable livers and defining therapeutic targets to improve function of marginal grafts.