Donor Network West and the University of California, San Francisco have developed a system to connect researchers with donated organs and tissue samples not used for transplant, supporting medical research by expanding access to human samples.
The five-year collaboration centers on UCSF’s Viable Tissue Acquisition Laboratory program, known as VITAL Core, which helps recover and deliver viable organs and tissue samples to researchers.
Donor Network West, a federally designated organ procurement organization with headquarters in San Ramon and northern Nevada, connects consented organs and tissues not used for transplant with researchers across the country, according to a news release.
Each year, thousands of organs and tissues recovered for donation are not suitable for transplant, but they can still play a vital role in advancing science. The partnership addresses a long-standing shortage of human tissue samples available to researchers in the field of human biology.
The VITAL Core program was established in the UCSF Department of Surgery by Dr. James Gardner. The program applies clinical standards used for transplant-approved organs and tissues to samples delivered for research, according to the release. The model is also designed to be adopted by other institutions and organizations.
Ahmad Salehi, senior director of research at Donor Network West, said the program helps turn nontransplantable organs and tissues into scientific opportunities.
“Through VITAL Core and our partnership with UCSF, we’ve turned that potential loss into scientific gain,” Salehi said.
A peer-reviewed article published in the journal Transplantation, co-authored by Salehi and Gardner, documented the program’s growth between 2021 and 2024. During that period, participating laboratories grew from eight to 42, tissue types expanded from 15 to 43 and annual sample volume increased sevenfold.
The samples have supported research leading to at least 14 peer-reviewed publications from UCSF researchers, including in Cell and Science. Researchers receiving samples have also secured more than $28 million in additional research funding, leading to an estimated $70 million in total economic activity.
Janice Whaley, president and CEO of Donor Network West, said the collaboration honors donors and their families while showing how organ procurement organizations can help with scientific advancement.
“We are proud to connect organs and tissue to the scientific research community, advancing research and its impact while also honoring the generosity of donors and their families,” Whaley said.
