Organ preservation in pancreas and islet transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Organ preservation aims at reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury and maintains or even improves its function, and, therefore, increases transplant safety and efficiency. With the chronic lack of organs for transplantation, marginal donors are more and more frequently used in Western countries. New challenges, therefore, have to be met in organ preservation.


RESULTS
We summarize the effects of cold preservation on various organ grafts, with particular emphasis on the pancreas. We review the different preservation solutions currently available in the clinic, and we present the current knowledge and clinical experience in pancreas and islet transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, in whole pancreas and islet transplantation, current cold preservation solutions (University of Wisconsin solution, Celsior, histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate) seem to be equivalent, with only few studies showing better results with University of Wisconsin solution. Regarding preservation with the two-layer method, conflicting results have been reported, and proper prospective controlled studies have yet to be performed to gather evidence on its impact on islet yield and function. Some recent developments and future strategies in general organ preservation not yet applied to pancreas preservation are reviewed at the end of the article.
Baertschiger
Reto M
RM
Islet Isolation and Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. reto.m.baertschiger@hcuge.ch
Berney
Thierry
T
Morel
Philippe
P
D003080:Cold Temperature; D006801:Humans; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting
D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions