A porcine model of acute rejection for cardiac transplantation
Journal
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
Journal Volume
12
ISSN
2297-055X
Date Issued
2025-07-18
Author(s)
Mendiola Pla, Michelle
Chiang, Yuting
Glass, Carolyn
Wendell, David C.
Swain-Lenz, Devjanee
Ho, Sam
Fudim, Marat
Lee, Franklin H.
Kang, Lillian
Smith, Matthew F.
Alvarez Lobo, Alejandro
Mitra, Kishen
Gross, Ryan T.
Wang, Chunbo
Bishawi, Muath
Vekstein, Andrew
Dewan, Krish
et al.
Abstract
Ex vivo machine perfusion has been growing in utility for preserving donor organs prior to transplantation. This modality has tremendous potential for bioengineering and conditioning organs prior to transplantation using small molecule or advanced therapeutics. To safely translate potential interventions, well characterized models of disease are crucial for testing the therapeutic and possible side effects that could manifest from the interventions. Acute cellular rejection remains a significant complication in organ transplantation that affects transplant recipients with significant morbidity and mortality. This disease could potentially be mitigated with therapeutic intervention during ex vivo machine perfusion. A porcine animal model of acute rejection could be characterized in order to translate human biological processes with high fidelity. The Yucatan pig breed has been increasingly used in both biomedical research and xenotransplantation applications given its similarity to the human heart. A challenge with utilizing this pig breed for designing a model of acute rejection is its highly conserved ancestral lineage, which could make it difficult to induce acute rejection in a timely and consistent manner. We present a detailed characterization of a porcine model of acute rejection based on swine leukocyte antigen mismatching paired with a limited period of clinically relevant immunosuppression. The result is a robust and consistent protocol that results in fulminant acute rejection of an intra-abdominally transplanted heart.
Subjects
acute rejection
cardiac transplantation
disease model
machine perfusion
translational research
SDGs
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Type
journal article