Improved Outcome Of Experimental Lung Transplantation
A healthy barrier promotes gas exchange and prevents oedema formation due to leakage of plasma from the blood. Donor lungs, however, are severely damaged during organ procurement and during transport, which frequently results in lung oedema after transplantation. Lung oedema does not only impair the gas exchange but also favours infections and graft rejection.
Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) very efficiently protects against different kinds of lung damage. In their study, Veronika Grau (University of Giessen Lung Center, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany) and her colleagues demonstrate that donor treatment with this powerful factor prevents oedema formation in experimental rat lung transplants.
The clinical application of KGF in lung transplantation is limited by the fact that donors should be treated two or three days before organ procurement, which is difficult when the grafts originate from deceased donors.
KGF could, however, be useful in living donor lobar lung transplantation, which is increasingly performed in children. Living donor treatment with KGF might be beneficial for both donor and recipients but more experimental research is needed to ensure that KGF is safe and efficient in human transplantation.
European Respiratory Journal
Îmbunãtãþirea rezultatelor experimentale Lung Transplantation - Improved Outcome Of Experimental Lung Transplantation - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate