A Simple Cuff Technique for Murine Left Lung Transplantation

Over the past decade, our laboratory has made significant progress in developing andrefining vascularized mouse lung transplantation models using an efficient and highlyreliable "cuff technique" of transplantation. This article describes a sophisticated andcomprehensive method for orthotopic lung transplantation in a vascularized orthotopiclung model, representing the most physiologic and clinically relevant model of mouselung transplantation to date. The transplantation process consists of two distinctstages: donor harvest and subsequent implantation into the recipient. The methodhas been successfully mastered, and with several months of sufficient training, askilled practitioner can perform the procedure in approximately 90 min from skin-to-skin. Surprisingly, once individuals overcome the initial learning curve, the survival rateduring the perioperative period approaches nearly 100%. The mouse model allowsfor the use of multiple commercially available transgenic and mutant strains of mice,enabling the study of tolerance and rejection. Additionally, the unique features of thismodel make it a valuable tool for investigating tumor biology and immunology