Organ Preservation: History, Advancements, and Perspectives

Abstract

Recent advances in organ transplantation, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery have emphasized the critical importance of effective preservation techniques for organs. Despite these advances, current preservation techniques have significant limitations in maintaining the viability and functional efficacy of organs over the long term. As a result, there is a pressing need to develop reliable and efficient preservation strategies for organs. Currently, the clinical standard for organ preservation involves the use of static cold storage and organ machine perfusion, but these methods can only preserve organs for a couple of days or even a few hours. Notably, the development of cryobiology has yielded promising alternatives. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the progression of organ preservation methods, while emphasizing the limitations of traditional approaches. Moreover, we evaluate advanced preservation techniques for organs, including kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, and intestines. Furthermore, we share a progress perspective on the future of organ preservation, with the ultimate goal of achieving viable long-term preservation to address the pressing issue of organ shortage.