A revolutionary global study establishes the first international reference framework for pediatric liver transplantation

The Bridge to Life highlights study was presented as a last-minute oral clinical trial at the 2026 International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 6 to 9, 2026.

DULUTH, Ga., May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – A global multicenter study, the first of its kind, has established the first international reference framework for pediatric liver transplantation (PLT), providing a long-awaited reference framework for morbidity, complications, graft survival, and recipient outcomes in various pediatric transplant populations worldwide.

Presented as a last-minute oral clinical trial at the 2026 International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, this historic analysis addresses one of the most important unmet needs in pediatric transplantation: the lack of globally standardized outcome criteria to guide graft selection, risk stratification, and post-transplant quality assessment. For more details, click here for the summary.

Led by Sapana Verma, MD, PhD, and under the supervision of Prof. Andrea Schlegel from the Cleveland Clinic, the study analyzed primary pediatric liver transplants performed between 2000 and 2024 at nine high-volume transplantation centers covering North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa/the Middle East.

“The globally accepted reference standards for pediatric liver transplantation are sorely lacking,” said Dr. Verma. “Our goal was to establish international reference standards for morbidity and survival following pediatric liver transplantation and to develop a graft selection decision-making framework based on data in heterogeneous pediatric subgroups.

The reference cohort presented significantly lower major morbidity, fewer renal, vascular, and biliary complications, as well as shorter hospitalization and intensive care unit stays. It is important to note that the benchmarking model allowed differentiation of outcomes in heterogeneous pediatric populations, thus creating an evolutionary platform for overall quality evaluation and risk-adjusted outcome analysis.

Researchers plan to expand their work to a multicenter cohort of over 10,000 recipients to establish definitive global reference standards and validate outcome thresholds based on age, weight, etiology of liver disease, graft type, and combined recipient risk profiles.

“This work is very important as pediatric transplantation has never had the standardized reference points that exist in adult transplantation,” said Don Webber, President, and CEO of Bridge to Life Ltd. “As the field progresses towards precise graft assessment, viability evaluation, and optimized preservation strategies such as hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE), it becomes essential to have strong reference standards. These reference standards help define not only what success is but also how we improve access to safe transplantation for a larger number of pediatric patients worldwide.”

Research involving the Bridge to Life’s VitaSmart Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion System demonstrated that HOPE was safe and effective in pediatric liver transplantation, supporting the growing role of machine perfusion and viability-guided decision-making in this highly specialized population.

As pediatric transplantation evolves towards more individualized graft selection and broader use of advanced preservation technologies, these newly established reference standards form an essential basis for the next generation of clinical decisions. While benchmarking defines what is achievable, advanced preservation strategies such as HOPE offer a promising path to bringing high-risk transplants closer to benchmarking outcomes.

About Bridge to Life Ltd: Bridge to Life Ltd is a global innovator in organ preservation technologies and solutions, offering leading products such as Belzer UW®, EasiSlush®, and the VitaSmart Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion System. With a particular focus on product quality, innovation, and accessibility, the company serves key transplantation centers and organ procurement organizations worldwide, with which it partners.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2085277/Bridge_to_Life_New_Logo.jpg

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/une-etude-mondiale-revolutionnaire-etablit-le-premier-cadre-de-reference-international-pour-la-transplantation-hepatique-pediatrique-302767593.html