DeFat

The DeFat Study - Defatting of donor transplant livers during normothermic perfusion – a randomised clinical trial

Chief investigators: Professor Peter Friend, Mr Simon Knight
Primary sponsor: University of Oxford
Funder: NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Awards
NHSBT Research Theme: Organ Donation and Transplantation

Summary

Experimental data suggest that the combination of normothermic machine preservation (NMP) and defatting may be effective in reducing the fat content of livers intended for transplant and improving perfusion parameters to meet functional criteria for transplantation.

In this first clinical study we intend to test the safety and feasibility of the intervention, and to obtain initial data regarding efficacy and effect size.

Study hypothesis

The NMP-defatting protocol is safe for use in steatotic donor livers intended for transplant.

Study design

Randomised pilot, Phase II study (2-arm, 1:1 allocation) comparing NMP alone vs. NMP and defatting protocol.

Study contact

Fotini Kaloyirou
Clinical Trial Manager – NHSBT CTU
Email: fotini.kaloyirou@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Hussain Abbas
Clinical Research Fellow
Email: hussain.abbas@nds.ox.ac.uk