Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2010

Mentor: Juan Arenas, MD
Department: Surgery/Surgical Transplant Division
Room number: HQ8.807
Mail Code: 8567
Phone number: 214-645-7729
E-mail: juan.arenas@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Use of ECMO support in donation after cardiac death in swine model

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 2008-0427

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects): Animal-based Research

Brief Description of Project:
This study is designed to perform orthotopic liver transplantation in similar size swine and to compare outcomes between organs from a donor after cardiac death (DCD) using the standard technique (control) and DCD organs resuscitated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

The student's particular role in this project will be to provide assistance in animal surgery preparation, animal surgery manipulation of liver donation & transplantation, and collection of experimental samples. By the end of the project, we expect the student to have completed 2-3 swine model liver transplantation experiments, set up an ex vivo perfusion model for further study, and to have analyzed and summarized experimental results. To accomplish these goals, we expect the following scientific methods to be used: animal experiment and surgical skills, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, protein extraction & assay, ELSA and TUNEL. Our goal is for the student to bring the project to a point where an abstract can be submitted, but submission will be based on the progress and completion of surgeries throughout the project time line.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Dr. Juan Arenas has over 20 years of research experience with swine models. He conducted similar research while at the University of Michigan and published an abstract titled "Assessment of Liver Function During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in the Non-Heart Beating Donor Swine" in a 2004 issue of Transplantation Proceedings.