Improving Liver Graft Function Using CD47 Blockade in the Setting of Normothermic Machine Perfusion.

Background: Toward the goal of using more livers for transplantation, transplant centers are looking to increase the use of organs from "marginal" donors. Livers from these donors, however, have been shown to be more susceptible to preservation and reperfusion injury.

Methods: Using a porcine model of donation after circulatory death, we studied the use of antibody-mediated CD47 blockade to further improve liver graft function undergoing normothermic machine perfusion.