Ischemic Conditioning in Kidney Transplantation

Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a composite of the injury sustained during a period of reduced or absent blood flow to a tissue or organ and the additional insult sustained on reperfusion, which limits the amount of tissue that can be salvaged. Ischemia-reperfusion injury is the predominant insult during kidney transplantation, contributing to graft dysfunction, increased rates of acute rejection, and reduced rejection-free graft survival. In this review, we discuss the potential therapeutic benefits of a cost-effective and low-risk intervention, ischemic preconditioning, and its potential for improving kidney function following transplantation.