Restoring Discarded Porcine Lungs by Ex Vivo Removal of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Lung transplantation is limited by the availability of donors, with relative scarcity of organs. Aspiration prior to donation is one reason donor organs might be discarded due to concern for acute lung injury, which adversely impacts graft survival. This cellular injury is mediated by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and removal of these inflammatory structures has been postulated to reduce aspiration associated with cellular injury. This article studied a NET removal device in porcine lungs and found lower inflammatory markers including cytokines, cell free DNA, and tissue edema. This article aims to potentially increase the transplant lung donor pool by highlighting this area of study.