Functional Repair of Human Donor Lung by IL-10 Gene Therapy (EX VIVO Lung)

For the first time, scientists in the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network have successfully used gene therapy to repair injured human donor lungs, making them potentially suitable for transplantation into patients. This technique could significantly expand the number of donor lungs by using organs that are currently discarded, and improve outcomes after transplantation.

In their pioneering work, a team of researchers led by Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Senior Scientist at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network and Director of the Lung Transplant Program, University Health Network developed a technique of ex vivo gene delivery to donor lungs, before they are implanted into a recipients body. The technique was shown to be simple and effective in improving lung function. Their results, Functional Repair of Human Donor Lungs by IL-10 Gene Therapy, are published in the October 28, 2009 edition of the journal SCIENCE Translational Medicine

Read more at
http://www.tgwhf.ca/newsmedia/news/2009/2009-10-28_lungs.asp

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• ex vivo lung
• university health network