Heart transplants are a race against the clock: hearts begin to deteriorate after about five hours outside the body.
Scientists at Sydney’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute have devised a solution that protects the donated heart, potentially doubling the organ’s life outside the body.
Trials on human organs begin this year.
At the moment, about 60% of donor hearts are ruled out due to the age of the heart.
Source: Readers Digest, May 2010
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