The moment a donor heart is cut off from its blood supply, transplant teams are on a race against the clock to remove it, transport it, and sew it into the recipient, all within four hours. A new way of reprogramming donor hearts could give them more time.
A study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine finds that when valproic acid, a medication to treat seizures, is infused in donor hearts, it could significantly extend — potentially double — the safe storage time of the organs.