The establishment of diseased human whole organ model by normothermic machine perfusion technique: Principle of concept

The global incidence of liver diseases is rising, yet there remains a dearth of precise research models to mimic these diseases. The use of normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) to study diseased livers recovered from liver transplantation (LT) recipients presents a promising avenue. Accordingly, we have developed a machine perfusion system tailored specifically for the human whole diseased livers and present our experience from the NMP of diseased livers.

Six diseased livers recovered from LT recipients with different diagnoses were collected. The diseased livers were connected to the machine perfusion system that circulated tailored perfusate, providing oxygen and nutrients. The pressure and flow of the system were recorded, and blood gas analysis and laboratory tests of perfusate and bile were examined to analyze the function of the diseased livers. Liver tissues before and after NMP were collected for histological analysis.

Experiments showed that the system maintained the diseased livers in a physiological state, ensuring stable hemodynamics and a suitable partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The results of blood gas analysis and laboratory tests demonstrated a restoration and sustenance of metabolism with minimal damage. Notably, a majority of the diseased livers exhibited bile production continuously, signifying their vivid functional integrity. The pathological characteristics remained stable before and after NMP.

We successfully established the machine perfusion system tailored specifically for diseased human whole livers. Through the application of this system, we have developed a novel in vitro model that faithfully recapitulates the main features of human liver disease. This model holds immense promise as an advanced disease modeling platform, offering profound insights into liver diseases and potential implications for research and therapeutic development.