Frogs process used in transplants
Frogs process used in transplants
2008-10-02Newsfeed
Scientists are trying to reproduce a hibernating technique used by frogs in order to successfully freeze livers for transplant.
Scientists are trying to reproduce a hibernating technique used by frogs in order to successfully freeze livers for transplant.
By slowly freezing the organs, researchers hope to prevent the formation of damaging ice crystals. Transplant livers deteriorate rapidly without a blood supply, becoming useless after between 12 and 24 hours.
A team from the Israeli Agricultural Research Organisation has already tested the system by successfully freezing, thawing and transplanting a pig's liver.
Some frog species employ a similar slow-cooling technique when they allow parts of their bodies to freeze during hibernation.
If human livers are found to survive the process, more of the organs would be made available to patients.
Dr Amir Arav, who developed the new freezing method, told New Scientist magazine: "We didn't invent this process, nature did."
His team cooled a pig's liver to minus 20C. It was then allowed to thaw for 20 minutes before being transplanted into another pig. The animal's original liver was left in place.
After the pig was killed an analysis of the liver showed its cells were alive.
But Dr David Winter, president of US firm Human BioSystems, said: "One pig liver in a piggyback transplant is not very convincing as there's no evidence the thawed liver can really support the animal."
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
