Background and Aim 

Owing to organ shortage, new policies regarding donor criteria have been implemented such as extended criteria donors (ECD) and donors after circulatory death (DCD). These organs are more susceptible to the well-known ischemia reperfusion injury and therefore, more prone to develop, among others, post-transplant fibrosis. Fibrosis is the leading cause of reduction in graft function and graft survival after transplantation. Kidney ex vivo machine perfusion during organ preservation poses the perfect platform for targeted interventions to these marginal kidneys. Moreover, the combination of ex vivo machine perfusion with mRNA therapy has great potential to prevent fibrosis as mRNA has transient effect. mRNA is delivered to the cells and then translated to a therapeutic protein. Therefore, even though it is delivered during ex vivo machine perfusion its effects continue after transplantation.  

In a porcine model, The PRE-TREAT project aims to develop an mRNA-based treatment strategy to prevent post transplant fibrosis development for marginal donor kidneys combining mRNA therapy with ex vivo kidney machine perfusion.  

Collaboration 

This project is in collaboration with the interdisciplinary nanoscience institute (iNANO) at Aarhus University, the department of Urology, Nephrology and the Nørregard lab at Aarhus University Hospital.  

Contact

PhD student, Cristina Ballester Bergada (crisballester@clin.au.dk).  

Anna Krarup Keller (anna.keller@clin.au.dk), Department of Urology. 

Marco Eijken (m.eijken@clin.au.dk), Department of Clinical Medicine. (main supervisor)