The field of organ transplantation has been facing the problem of organ shortage for
several years. It is even more crucial since the number of patients on the waiting
list is growing steadily. There have been numerous approaches to resolve the issue:
on the one hand, extending the donation criteria and, on the other hand, improving
organ preservation using machine perfusion. Experimental and clinical studies have
already proven that machine perfusion decreases the incidence of delayed graft function
and improves graft survival, which is particularly significant in extended criteria
donation. Machine perfusion is used widely in kidney transplantation. The most frequently
used method is hypothermic machine perfusion but the normothermic method is gaining
more attention as well. Depending on the temperature set, machine perfusion may not
only be used for organ preservation but also for organ conditioning. There is still
ongoing research in the field of therapeutic approaches during machine perfusion,
which may play an important role in decreasing ischaemia-reperfusion injury and immunogenicity
in grafts. After a brief description of extended criteria donation, our review aims
to summarize the methods and the latest results of machine perfusion, including diagnostic
and therapeutic approaches in the field of kidney transplantation. Orv Hetil. 2023;
164(9): 339-347.
