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14 January 2025The project, with the collaboration of the Zaragoza company EBERS Medical, seeks to regenerate livers and kidneys before transplanting them.. This initiative includes the creation of a new unit for immunodeficient pigs at the Biomedical Research Centre of Aragon (CIBA) to accelerate the transfer of new technologies and therapies to patients.
The Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragon) He is leading a pioneering project with the aim of regenerating livers and kidneys in an innovative machine before transplantation.. In addition, this ambitious project, with the participation of the Zaragoza company EBERS Medical (specialized in organ perfusion technologies), has a Financing of more than one million euros, awarded by the Carlos III Health Institute and the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI). The project is headed by Peter the Baptist, ARAID researcher at the IIS Aragón and member of the Translational Research Group in Digestive Pathology. The researcher points to the “enormous potential of the project to improve both the quality and the availability of livers and kidneys for transplants.” According to the tissue engineering expert, the objective is to optimize the function of the organs before transplantation through therapies applied on the machine, which will also allow rescue organs that would not initially be suitable due to their poor quality or function.
In Spain, between 20% and 25% of organs donated for transplant are wasted due to problems such as hepatic steatosis (excessive accumulation of fat in the liver) or prolonged warm ischemia (time without adequate blood flow). However, Advances in normothermic dynamic preservation (NMP) have proven to be a promising solution by maintaining organs in conditions close to their natural functioning, outside the human body.
Precisely, this new project that has recently started focuses on the development of a cell therapy ex vivo with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) applied to organs considered marginal, such as steatotic livers and kidneys with prolonged ischemia. Using the latest generation technology developed by EBERS Medical, These organs will be treated in perfusion machines that simulate physiological conditions.. Later, The regenerated organs will be transplanted into immunodeficient pigs to evaluate their survival, viability and function in the medium term.
The success of this initiative could revolutionize the field of transplants. significantly increase the availability of livers and kidneys, specially for Elderly patients with chronic or oncological diseases. Furthermore, it positions Aragon and Spain as leaders in the application of advanced technologies in regenerative medicine, strengthening the scientific and technological fabric of our community.
Thanks to the funding received, a new one will also be built New unit for immunodeficient pigs at the Biomedical Research Centre of Aragon (CIBA)This infrastructure, which will be the first in Europe, will allow Transplanting human cells and organs into pigs, accelerating the translation of new technologies and therapies to patients.
Photo: Project researchers: basic and translational scientists, surgeons, pathologists, nephrologists, hepatologists, veterinarians and animal experimentation technicians, together with members of the EBERS Medical company.