Antioxidant Poly(propylene sulfide) Nanoparticles Ameliorate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Improve Porcine Kidney Function Post-Transplantation

Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a significant complication in kidney transplantation, often affecting the viability and function of organs. Normothermic machine perfusion is a technique used to improve the addition of organs prior to transplantation. In this study, we show that incorporating antioxidant poly(propylene sulfide) nanoparticles during cold-storage and normothermic machine perfusion significantly enhances its efficacy in reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury upon porcine kidney transplantation. We found that by scavenging reactive oxygen species, poly(propylene sulfide) nanoparticles reduced oxidative stress and inflammation that occur during ischemia-reperfusion with oxidized DNA reduced 5.3x and both TNF-α and complement activation approximately halved. Our studies show that this approach led to significantly improved hemodynamics, better renal function, and tissue health compared to normothermic machine perfusion alone. The results suggest that incorporating poly(propylene sulfide) nanoparticles into transplantation protocols may expand the pool of kidneys suitable for transplantation and enhance overall transplantation success rates. The broader impact of this work could extend to other organ transplants, suggesting a wider application of nanoantioxidant technologies in organ preservation.