Activation of autophagy during normothermic machine perfusion of discarded livers is associated with improved hepatocellular function

We demonstrate that ischemia-reperfusion injury occurs in all livers
during NMP, though there are notable differences in gene expression
between functional and nonfunctional livers. We further demonstrate that
activation of the liver’s repair and homeostasis mechanisms through
autophagy plays a vital role in the graft’s response to injury and may
impact liver function. These findings indicate that liver autophagy might
be a key therapeutic target for rehabilitating the function of severely
injured or untransplantable livers.