Surgeons successfully transported pig kidneys between Baltimore and Innsbruck five times using X-Therma's FDA Breakthrough-designated subzero preservation technology

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world first, a pig kidney preserved at subzero temperatures was successfully transported across the Atlantic Ocean multiple times, demonstrating the potential for a novel technology to greatly extend organ storage and preservation, and make long-distance organ transportation a clinical reality.

Extending organ preservation time could bridge the organ supply-and-demand gap, avoid high-risk, time-critical emergency surgeries, and potentially achieve advanced genetic matching, ultimately leading to more transplants and saving more lives.

Dr. Gerald Brandacher led a surgical and research team that removed a kidney from a pig at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and transported the kidney on a commercial aircraft to the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria. Preserved for roughly 48 hours at subzero temperatures, the kidney was assessed in Innsbruck on a clinical-grade machine perfusion device and demonstrated viability and functionality.