In two separate studies, a major component in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), has been found to help prolong the preservation of both stored blood platelets and cryopreserved skin tissues.

Chemists in Canada have developed a new approach for producing more effective medical antifreeze fluids for preserving kidneys, hearts, and other organs donated for transplantation.

A new discovery by London biologists may yield new ways of handling the problem of transplant rejection. In a research article published in the November 2008 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the scientists confirm the two-way transfer of a molecule (called "MHC") that instructs the immune system to tell "self" from "non-self."

A new study by researchers at UC shows that using modern immunosuppressive drugs eliminates the need for steroid therapy as early as seven days following a transplant surgery while still maintaining kidney function.

The most common indication worldwide for pediatric transplantation, biliary atresia is also the most common cause of chronic liver disease in newborns. Recently, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC physicians completed a review of issues that children with biliary atresia face that lead to the need for transplantation.

Patients awaiting liver transplantation who also suffer from other medical problems may face poorer survival after transplantation. These comorbid problems, which include coronary disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), connective tissue disease and renal insufficiency, have been incorporated into a new modified comorbidity index which helps predict post-transplant survival.

Researchers in Cincinnati and Louisville report that immunosuppressive risks associated with facial transplantation may be lower than thought, possibly making the procedure a safer option for people who have suffered severe facial injuries.

All Britons should be considered organ donors unless they state otherwise, Britain's Chief Medical Officer proposed Tuesday, saying the country faced a severe shortage of organs.

Lung transplants have been performed successfully for more than 20 years in humans but never before in mice – until now. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed the first mouse model of lung transplantation, and they’re hoping it will help explain why the success of the procedure in humans lags far behind other solid organ transplants.

While the field of transplantation is quite young, substantial advancements and success have led to the current imbalance between the supply of organs and the demand for them. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) coordinates the nation's transplant system through a point system based primarily on wait time, sensitization and HLA matching.