The PRE-IMAGE project aims to determine the molecular mechanisms of ex vivo kidney perfusion prior to renal transplantation in order to develop breakthrough pre-transplant perfusion-based diagnostic markers that can indicate kidney transplant outcomes and to establish the added value of pre-transplant normothermic ex vivo kidney perfusion. (Pre-IMAGE.eu)

PREPAIR-1
Physiology of Renal Ex vivo Perfusion for organ Assessment and Injury Repair – 1 is carried out in Aarhus University Hospital. In PREPAIR-1, a preclinical model will be utilized to identify molecular biomarkers that define the effect of ex vivo normothermic perfusion on porcine kidneys and how ex vivo perfusion differs from a kidney perfused in vivo. First, both kidneys of each animal are imaged in vivo in an MRI scanner, while under general anesthesia. Next, both kidneys are surgically retrieved and perfused ex vivo. One kidney of each pair will be exposed to warm ischemic injury. From both kidneys, tissue biopsies and circulating perfusate / blood samples will be taken just prior to retrieval and, subsequently, each hour during ex vivo perfusion. Radiological data are obtained while the anesthetized pig and the ex vivo machine are placed in an MRI scanner. Molecular multi-omics and radiomics analyses will be performed. Ex vivo and in vivo findings will be longitudinally contrasted in order to characterize the typical effect that ex vivo perfusion has on an isolated kidney.

Collaboration
The project is a collaboration between Department of Organ Donation and Transplantation, University Medical Center Groningen, The Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital The department of nephrology, Aarhus University Hospital and The MR Research Center, Aarhus University,

Contact 
PhD student Tim Hamelink (t.l.hamelink@umcg.nl)
Anna Krarup Keller (anna.keller@clin.au.dk), Department of Urology