Doctors believe that a 10p statin could save thousands of lives worldwide. This is the result of the largest clinical trial ever conducted in organ donors.
Medical breakthroughs are expected to significantly increase the availability of organs for transplant. The demand for organs is far greater than the supply. Each year, thousands die waiting to be transplanted.
Many organs that could be donated, especially the heart and lungs are damaged. The damage can be worsened by removing the organ and then reattaching it to the recipient. Many organs that are offered cannot be used. Three quarters of the hearts that are offered can't be used due to damage or inability to function properly.
Leading doctors, surgeons, and researchers now believe that giving all donors statins before they are removed from their bodies could reduce inflammation and reverse or minimize the damage. This groundbreaking act could have a real clinical benefit for organ recipients and significantly increase their survival chances.
A groundbreaking UK trial has seen organ donors receive a single dose (or one) of simvastatin before their organs are taken out. This is a first in its kind. This intervention is only 10p and takes 30 seconds, but it promises to revolutionize organ donation.
This week marks the beginning of the largest randomised controlled trial ever conducted in organ donors. Statins could be used more often to increase the success rate and number of transplants. There are more than 7,000 people in the UK who are waiting to receive an organ transplant.
The need for transplants will increase due to the pandemic. Patients who are severely ill may develop lung damage and patients who have been scheduled for transplants within the past 18 months have their operations cancelled.
Professor John Dark, an expert in organ donation and the lead investigator of this trial, expressed hope that statins would be accepted as a standard for organ donors.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs are already a popular choice. Dark said that the study could have an impact on practice around the globe and lead to every organ donor receiving a statin, potentially saving thousands of lives.
Signet will recruit 2,600 organ donor after they have been declared brainstem deceased. This is a procedure called donation after death (DBD). Over the next four-years, they will be enrolled in 80 hospitals throughout the UK.
Dark, who is a Newcastle University professor of cardiothoracic surgical surgery and an ex-heart and lung surgeon who performed over 500 transplants, stated that his team would investigate the effects statins might have on various organs such as the liver, heart, and kidneys.
Simvastatin treatment will result in organs of higher quality. This was evident in Finland's previous study, which also showed that simvastatin had a positive effect on the quality of the heart.
Dark stated that in lung donation, recipients who received organs from donors receiving simvastatin had half the amount of primary graft dysfunction. This is a measure of organ damage. We hope to include statins in the standard treatment of organ donors, and then look into other drugs that could improve the condition of donated organs.
Half of consented donors will be given statins in addition to standard donor care. The drug is administered through a tube that runs into the stomach. This tube is already in most donors. Once the family has consented to organ donation, and their relative is involved in the research, the drug will be administered. The statin will be given to half of the recipients.
Lyndsey, who had been waiting for five years for a transplant of her heart, was thrilled to hear about the trial. She said it was wonderful to hear about more research into the quality of donated organs. This will hopefully lead to more hearts being available for transplant.
Neston on Wirral's 36-year old was born with a defect in her heart and underwent her first surgery at six weeks. At three years old, she had open heart surgery and has been using pacemakers ever since.
She said that I am still waiting for the call to let me know that a match was found and that I can begin the next chapter in my life. I hope that this study and others like it in the future will reduce the time people like me have to wait for a transplant. There will be more organs to save lives.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which supports families who give consent at the end-of-life, will be able to help with the delivery of the research. They will have completed months of training to be able to participate in the trial.
Dr Dan Harvey, co-lead investigator for the study, stated that the importance of specialist nurses in organ donor is not to be underestimated. They are a great help to families during one of their most difficult times, when it comes to organ donation. The trial's success depends on the support and understanding of family members.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has provided a grant of 1.3 million dollars to support the study. The study is being conducted by the NHSBTs clinical trials unit at Cambridge, and sponsored by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS foundation trust.
Professor Paul Dark, the NIHR national specialist lead for critical care, stated that the trial was crucial. He said that statins have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve organ function in previous studies. We hope this new research will have major benefits for the recipient donor.
