Until recently, only organs removed for transplant, but subsequently not transplanted were available to researchers. Thanks to a collaboration between QUOD and Newcastle University, in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, new arrangements have been implemented that will allow hearts, lungs and pancreases which are unsuitable for transplantation to be retrieved for research purposes. This will greatly facilitate ongoing research into developing ways more donated organs can be converted into successful life-saving transplants.
Clare Denison, Lead Specialist – Innovation and Research ODT at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “This is a significant moment for our organisation and researchers across the country. INOAR will change the face of transplantation and ultimately improve patient outcomes and quality of life in the future.”
This development is particularly exciting for diabetes researchers. Almost 4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes. The condition occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it can’t produce any at all, which leads to blood glucose levels being too high. Until now, the pancreas has not been removed, or even sampled following the death of people with diabetes during organ donation for transplantation. Research into the mechanisms preventing normal pancreatic insulin production in diabetes has therefore been limited to the small number of post-mortem samples currently stored in the UK.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK, said: “This is an exciting step forward that we hope will rapidly advance our understanding of the causes and progression of diabetes … world-class scientists will now have vital access to pancreatic tissue, propelling our knowledge of diabetes forward and bringing us a step closer to a world where diabetes can do no harm.”