Bridge to Life was proud to sponsor of eight of the 31 abstracts accepted for presentation. That’s more than 25 percent of all presentations! Moreover, we sponsored a symposium on Expanding the Boundaries of Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE): Addressing Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region, as well as a workshop on split-liver transplantations.

Bridge to Life was very excited to present the findings of clinical research on the use of HOPE (Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion) in pediatric liver transplantation, as well as new research on the use of HOPE in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: Preliminary Results
The researchers found that HOPE appears beneficial for pediatric liver transplantation, particularly for suboptimal or reduced grafts and complex cases requiring extended bench surgeries. Further comparative studies and long-term data are needed to refine indications.

HOPE for hepatocellular carcinoma patients – recurrence analysis in patients transplanted with grafts submitted to hypothermic oxygenated perfusion
The researchers from ULS de Coimbra concluded that HOPE appears to reduce liver cancer recurrence after liver transplantation for HCC. In their analysis, they allowed the use of grafts from donors aged ?80 years old, improving access to liver transplantation for these patients. Moreover, transplant patients receiving HOPE experienced significantly reduced the Cold Ischemic Time (CIT) and Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) severity.

Machine Perfusion in Liver Transplantation: A Game Changer for Middle-Volume Centers?
Based on their findings, researchers concluded that understanding machine perfusion’s benefits in middle-volume centers is essential for refining and improving organ preservation strategies and long-term liver transplantation success. Machine perfusion demonstrated a positive impact on post-liver transplantation outcomes in a middle-volume transplant center. Its advantages are especially noticeable in grafts from marginal donors; however, it offers also protective effects for containers who are less compromised.

For the full abstracts, please VIEW OUR ILTS INFORMATION HUB.

Bridge to Life Symposium
Bridge to Life also sponsored a symposium on “Expanding the Boundaries of Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion: Addressing Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region”. Speakers included Dr. Sonal Asthana from Aster Hospitals, Dr. Andrea Schlegel from Cleveland Clinic, Ohio and Dr. Rebeca Sanabria Mateos from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

The objectives of the Symposium were to:

• Highlight the clinical and logistical advantages of HOPE for liver transplantation
• Discuss region-specific applications such as pediatric, split liver, and LDLT cases
• Foster international collaboration to expand the use of machine perfusion in Asia

Dr. Sonal Asthana, Lead Consultant, HPB & Liver Transplant Surgery, Aster Hospitals, was Chairperson and Moderator.

Professor Andrea Schlegel, MD, MBA, an academic transplant surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) specializing in liver transplantation and hepato-biliary surgery, reviewed the state of the art in Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion in liver transplantation. In her talk, she considered:

• Overview of HOPE’s use and success in Europe for both DCD and DBD liver grafts.
• Latest results from clinical trials and real-world data, on the clinical benefits of HOPE, including reduced ischemia reperfusion injury, better graft survival, and reduced.
• Incidence and severity of post LT complications.
• Bridge to HOPE trial results updates
• Comparison of adoption across Europe, India, and pending FDA approval in the USA.
• Future research directions

Dr. Rebeca Sanabria Mateos, Adult and Paediatric Liver Transplant Surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, explored expanding applications of hypothermic perfusion in liver transplantation, including the unique challenges in pediatric liver transplantation, the complexities of split liver transplantation, and value of HOPE in living donor liver transplantation.

The Symposium was well attended, and sparked a lively Q&A session following the presentations. A recording of the session is available on OUR ILTS INFORMATION HUB.

Moderator:
Mauricio Carvalho, Vice President, Medical Affairs, Bridge to Life

Speakers:
Anji Wall, MD, PhD, FACS, Abdominal Transplant, Baylor, Scott & White Health Sean Forquer, Program Director Perfusion Services at Southwest Transplant Alliance, and Ashley Milam, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPTC, Director of Organ Recovery, LifeShare of Oklahoma.

The program goals were to:

• Explore the latest advancements in organ machine perfusion and preservation technologies.
• Highlight the collaborative roles of OPOs and transplant centers in optimizing outcomes.
• Identify strategies for implementation and challenges in the adoption of innovative technologies.

The program included a lively debate: “What is the Optimal Strategy for Widespread Adoption of Organ Machine Perfusion?”

The key learning objectives of the program were to:

• Understand how machine perfusion technologies improve organ quality and increase utilization rates.
• Gain insight into best practices for implementing perfusion strategies across the OPO-transplant center interface.
• Learn from real-world examples and develop actionable plans to address challenges in adoption.

Their study provides a standardized and optimized protocol for FMN quantification in donor plasma and various organ preservation fluids, obtained during machine perfusion. The results are presented considering key confounders, methodological challenges, and the role of individual test components. FMN quantification has proven to be an attractive immediate organ assessment tool, strongly correlating with graft survival and post-transplant complications after liver transplantation. Additionally, this study supports the development of a standardized framework to facilitate the integration of FMN measurement programs in transplant centers. These findings lay the foundation for broader clinical adoption of a more consistent approach to organ viability assessment across institutions.

These findings highlight the potential of FMN quantification as a standardize and reliable biomarker for assessing organ viability in liver transplantation. The validated fluorescence spectroscopy method allows for consistent implementation across transplant centers, enhancing organ evaluation and selection. Its reproducibility across various media, spectrometers, and international centers further reinforces its clinical utility. This non-invasive and efficient technique improves graft quality assessment, optimizing donor organ utilization and transplant success. Future research should refine threshold values, expand multi-center validations, and explore FMN’s role in other organs to establish it as a standard in transplantation medicine.

We are looking forward to the upcoming World Transplant Congress (WTC), the joint congress of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), and The Transplantation Society (TTS), in San Francisco, August 2-6, 2025, where we will be presenting the results of the 12-month follow-up study of the Bridge to HOPE trial. Read the our PRESS RELEASE HERE. Then in September, we’ll present new data at the 13th Congress of The International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTS), in Berlin, September 28-30, 2025.

FOLLOWING ARE SCHEDULED PRESENTATIONS AT WTC 2025:

Symposium:
Title: “Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE): From Science to Clinical Impact”
Location: Moscone Center, Room: 307
Monday, August 4, 2025, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM PT
Moderator: Garret Roll, MD, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Speakers:
David Axelrod, MD, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, OH
David Foley, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
Andrea Schlegel, MD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH

Plenary Session
Presentation Title: “Hypothermic-Oxygenated and Normothermic Machine Perfusion: A Risk-Matched Post-Hoc Comparison of the Bridge to Hope Randomized Trial with Prospectively Collected Institutional Outcomes”
Location: SFO Ballroom
Monday, August 4, 2025, 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM PT
Presenter: Chase J. Wehrle, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, ILTS 2025 Young Investigators Award Winner

Poster Presentations:
Poster Title: “Impact of Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion on Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Liver Transplantation: Stratified Analysis Based on Donor Age”
Poster Number: P2.08.147
Location: Exhibit Hall AB
Monday, August 4, 2025, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM PT
Presenter: Marco Maria Pascale, MD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy

Poster Title: “Mitochondrial Injury and Function Comparing Hypothermic and Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Human Livers”
Poster Number: P3.03.26
Location: Exhibit Hall AB
Tuesday, August 5, 2025. 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM PT
Presenter: Omer Faruk Karakaya, MD, Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute – Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Oral Abstract Presentations:
Abstract Title: “Economic Assessment of Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion in Liver Transplantation”
Poster Number: OA43.7
Location: Room 154
Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 5:26 PM- 5:35 PM PT
Presenter: David Axelrod MD, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, OH

Abstract Title: “Decreased Rejection Severity with Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion: Sub Analysis from a Pivotal Multicenter Trial of HOPE for Liver Transplantation”
Poster Number: OA51.8
Location: Room 20
Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 9:20 AM – 9:29 AM PT
Presenter: David J. Reich, MD, FACS, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Late-Breaking Oral Abstract:
Abstract Title: “Novel Approach to Viability Assessment of Split Liver Grafts Using Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion”
Poster Number: LOA02.7
Location: Room 9
Sunday, August 3, 2025, 3:11 PM – 3:20 PM PT
Presenter: Geofia Crasta, MD, Cleveland Clinic – Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH

Abstract Title: “Clinical and Logistical Impact of Machine Perfusion in a Low Volume Liver Transplant Center”
Poster Number: LOA02.8
Location: Room 9
Sunday, August 3, 2025, 3:20 PM – 3:29 PM PT
Presenter: Marco Maria Pascale, MD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy

Abstract Title: “Immunomodulation through Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion in Liver Transplantation: Biomarker Analysis in Peripheral Blood”
Poster Number: LOA06.5
Location: Room 11
Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 8:51 AM – 9:00 AM PT
Presenter: Marco Maria Pascale, MD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy

Abstract Title: “Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: A Multicenter Study”
Poster Number: LOA08.2
Location: Room 4
Wednesday, August 6, 2025, 10:09 AM – 10:18 AM PT
Presenter: Francisco Hernández Oliveros, MD, La Paz Hospital, Madrid, Spain