Created: May 03, 2021 06:02 PM
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are working to create the world's first human organ storage bank as part of a new national effort.
Currently, human organs only have a matter of hours after donation to reach a recipient, so storing them is not possible.
But the Minnesota scientists are developing new methods of organ preservation that could give organs a shelf life of months or even years.
"We want to stop biologic time," explained Dr. Erik Finger, a transplant surgeon and associate professor in the university's department of surgery. "Right now, there's a problem: if an organ is suitable for a patient in California but comes from Maine, it may not get there in time. With heart and lung, for example, you only have four to six hours. Our process would allow you to store organs in a liquid nitrogen freezer for years, theoretically."