Ryan Lamb

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Investigating vascular endothelial cell activation during ex-vivo organ perfusion

There is a need to increase the number of donor lungs available for transplantation as currently 25% of people on the waiting list die before a suitable organ is found. Ex-vivo lung perfusion is a technique developed to allow use of donor lungs that would previously have been unsuitable. Previous research has identified a link between chemical messengers (cytokines) released during perfusion and how well the transplanted organ functions. This research aims to investigate how white blood cells react to specialist lining cells in the blood vessels of the lungs and how they are activated and cause damage due to cytokine activity. This will be achieved by flowing white blood cells over the lining (endothelial) cells using a microfluidic flow system (Cellix Ltd). From this work, we will have better understanding of the link between cytokine messengers and activation of endothelial cells in donor organs.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Professor Andrew Fisher