A National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) team has successfully performed a transplant using a cryogenically preserved donor aorta, marking not just the first successful transplant in Asia but also the first time this technique has been used to treat a severe injury.

With the support of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the NTUH team eschewed the 3D-printed artificial trachea used in earlier attempts due to its high failure rate in favor of the donor aorta for the transplant. They have successfully treated a young patient whose trachea was severely damaged after entanglement by power lines during a typhoon, marking the world’s first case of applying this technique to repair major trauma.

NTUH’s Surgery Department Chair and Distinguished Professor Dr. Chen Jin-Shing (陳晉興) said Wednesday that a French research team was the first to discover that when a donor's aorta is transplanted into the trachea, it grows into cartilage and mucosal cells. Attending Surgeon Hung Wan-Ting (洪琬婷) explained that for surgeons, the key to success is maximizing the contact area during the transplant, giving the precursor cells more space to grow and migrate.

Looking ahead, Drs. Chen and Hung hope to understand other key components in the aorta that promote tissue regeneration, identify better sources for reconstructive materials, and engage in "xenotransplantation" research, exploring whether genetically modified animal organs or tissues can be used to address the shortage of donor sources.