US researchers have successfully repaired damaged lungs which would otherwise have been rejected for organ transplant.
The need for lung transplant is predicted to rise due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but these are currently the least-used solid organ for transplant because 80% of donor lungs are too damaged to be considered.
Damaged human lungs, that were rejected for donation, were attached to a large vein of a live pig to allow blood circulation through the organ, and a mechanical ventilator.
The team from Vanderbilt University, Tennessee and Columbia University, New York, managed to extend the current six-hour window to maintain lungs outside the body to 24 hours, allowing more time for recovery.