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Featured Researcher Recently profiled on the cover of Science Translational Medicine, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee continues to advance innovations in the field of lung transplantation. The Toronto XVIVO Lung Perfusion System was developed by a team led by Dr. Keshavjee and in collaboration with Vitrolife Inc., a company that specializes in preparation, cultivation and storage of human cells, tissue and organs.. Lung transplantation is life-saving therapy for patients suffering from end-stage lung diseases refractory to medical management. However, the number of patients listed for lung transplantation far exceeds the number of donors available. Currently, only about 20% of available lungs are utilized. The XVIVO system can potentially double the number of lungs available for transplantation as donor lungs that might have been previously rejected can now be repaired using this system.
Click here to watch the video. Dr. Keshavjee’s work spans different areas that addresses the need for more donor lungs. Another innovation that Dr. Keshavjee pioneered is the concept that donor lungs possesses unique biomarkers that can predict good recipient outcome. Current assessment of donor lungs can be inaccurate and rely on empirical data. Accurate assessment of the donor lung is key to selecting organs that can be safely used for lung transplantation. Dr. Keshavjee, in collaboration with Dr. Mingyao Liu at UHN have identified panel of biomarkers that are differentially expressed in donor lungs. These biomarkers are highly predictive of the risk of primary graft failure in recipients. Using this information, they are developing a new gene-based diagnostic tool that will assist in the clinical assessment of donor lung suitability. It is anticipated that an accurate diagnostic will increase donor utilization rates and decrease wait times for potential transplant recipients. In addition to increasing donor lung pool, Dr. Keshavjee’s work also has potential in being applied to other types of organ transplantation, and can contribute towards increasing donor availability and improving patient outcome.
For more information on Dr. Keshavjee's research, as well as his technologies available for licensing please contact: Yuan Lew (416) 581-7405 ylew@uhnresearch.ca
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