Shaf Keshavjee

Research Synopsis

My lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of lung preservation, injury and repair. We developed the Toronto Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) system, which has transformed how the world performs lung transplantation. During EVLP, donor lungs are placed in a sterile and protective dome outside of the body (“ex vivo”) and supplied oxygen, nutrients and other critical components that enable the lung to breathe on its own. During the six hours that a lung can remain physiologically active on EVLP, surgeons can fully assess physiologic quality and make a more informed and objective decision on whether to utilize the lung for transplant. Importantly, the hours during which lungs are on EVLP have also enabled a critical time window in which the team can apply novel, isolated therapies to repair injured donor lungs prior to transplant. To this extent, we are currently developing a number of precision diagnostics and novel repair therapies, including gene therapy and CRISPR-Cas9 applications, that will maximize the potential of EVLP in the transplant clinic.