New research from Lund University may expand the donor lung pool for transplantation
A new scientific publication from Professor Sandra Lindstedt and her research team at Lund University highlights innovative strategies to improve lung transplantation through an in-depth analysis of molecular and functional responses to different types of lung injury.
The study, recently published in Transplantation, explores how three distinct models of lung injury affect donor lungs and examines opportunities to improve lung quality prior to transplantation.
Lung transplantation is often the only treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease, yet the shortage of viable donor lungs remains a significant challenge. Up to 80% of potential donor lungs are discarded due to damage sustained prior to donation.
In this study, the research team investigated three types of lung injury—infection, aspiration, and ventilator-induced lung injury—in an animal model, analyzing molecular changes using advanced proteomics and immunofluorescence imaging.
– Our results show that different types of lung injury have distinct biological signatures, which could help us develop more targeted strategies to restore donor lungs and thereby expand the organ pool for transplantation, says Professor Sandra Lindstedt.
The study demonstrates that biomarker analysis in exhaled particles (PExA) and lung tissue can be used to identify and classify damage in donor lungs. These findings open up new possibilities for improving diagnostics and treatment using ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), a technique in which lungs are assessed and treated outside the body before transplantation.
This groundbreaking research further strengthens PExA’s role as a key technology in pulmonary medicine, enabling non-invasive analysis of airway biomarkers. Over time, the technology could contribute to better screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung diseases.
Tomas Gustafsson, CEO of PExA, comments:
– This study is another important piece of evidence supporting our belief that PExA can be used to identify biomarkers for the early diagnosis of various types of lung disease.
📄 Read the full publication:
Unraveling Molecular and Functional Responses Across 3 Lung Injury Models to Expand the Donor Lung Pool
For further information, please contact:
Tomas Gustafsson, CEO, info@pexa.se
About PExA AB:
PExA AB (556956-9246) has developed the PExA 2.1, a patented research instrument that helps researchers intelligently collect biological samples from the smallest airways through a simple exhalation maneuver. PExA’s technology is currently used by prominent research groups in several different countries and research with the instrument has resulted in approximately 50 scientific publications, which serve as reference material for PExA’s method. The company’s long-term goal is to market and sell diagnostic instruments for popular diseases (e.g. lung cancer and COPD) to be used globally for diagnosis or general screening at facilities where care is offered. The company intends at the time it is relevant to sell to clinics to have developed more patient-friendly, flexible and commercial products, which means that PExA addresses a significantly wider market, which today includes several million patients globally.
PExA’s B share is listed on the Spotlight Stock Market.