Liver transplantation is challenged by organ scarcity and ageing donors. Machine perfusion is a promising technique to enhance organ preservation and assessment, improving liver utilization and patient outcomes. Here, we discuss current practices in machine perfusion using the IDEAL framework and outline the steps needed to advance this technology clinically.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$189.00 per year
only $15.75 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References
McCulloch, P. et al. No surgical innovation without evaluation: the IDEAL recommendations. Lancet 374, 1105–1112 (2009).
Fondevila, C. et al. Liver transplant using donors after unexpected cardiac death: novel preservation protocol and acceptance criteria. Am. J. Transplant. 7, 1849–1855 (2007).
Hessheimer, A. J. et al. Normothermic regional perfusion vs. super-rapid recovery in controlled donation after circulatory death liver transplantation. J. Hepatol. 70, 658–665 (2019).
Schlegel, A. et al. Hypothermic oxygenated perfusion protects from mitochondrial injury before liver transplantation. eBioMedicine 60, 103014 (2020).
Guarrera, J. V. et al. Hypothermic machine preservation in human liver transplantation: the first clinical series. Am. J. Transplant. 10, 372–381 (2010).
Eden, J. et al. Long-term outcomes after hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion and transplantation of 1,202 donor livers in a real-world setting (HOPE-REAL study). J. Hepatol. 82, 97–106 (2024).
Brüggenwirth, I. M. A. et al. Prolonged hypothermic machine perfusion enables daytime liver transplantation - an IDEAL stage 2 prospective clinical trial. eClinicalMedicine 68, 102411 (2024).
Ravikumar, R. et al. Liver transplantation after ex vivo normothermic machine preservation: a phase 1 (first-in-man) clinical trial. Am. J. Transplant. 16, 1779–1787 (2016).
Clavien, P.-A. et al. Transplantation of a human liver following 3 days of ex situ normothermic preservation. Nat. Biotechnol. 40, 1610–1616 (2022).
van Leeuwen, O. B. et al. Transplantation of high-risk donor livers after ex situ resuscitation and assessment using combined hypo- and normothermic machine perfusion: a prospective clinical trial. Ann. Surg. 270, 906–914 (2019).
van Leeuwen, O. B. et al. ‘Back-to-base’ combined hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion of human donor livers. Nat. Protoc. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-024-01130-8 (2025).
Ghinolfi, D. et al. Sequential use of normothermic regional and ex situ machine perfusion in donation after circulatory death liver transplant. Liver Transpl. 27, 385–402 (2021).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
D.N. and C.D.L.C. have received consultancy income from OrganOx for assisting with the design and conduct of previous trials. P.J.F. is a co-founder and shareholder in OrganOx and received consultancy payments as non-executive chief medical officer of the company. R.J.P. has received speaker’s honoraria and travel support paid to the institution by XVIVO and Aferetica. V.E.d.M. has received speaker’s honoraria paid to the institution by Astellas, Chiesi and XVIVO. O.B.v.L., P.D. and G.C.O. declare no competing interests.
Supplementary information
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Leeuwen, O.B., Nasralla, D., Ceresa, C.D.L. et al. The IDEAL framework for machine perfusion in liver transplantation. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 22, 669–671 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-025-01085-5
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-025-01085-5