Patients in need of lung transplants will receive 'skin patches' from their donors in an effort to detect organ rejection sooner as part of a new study.
The University of Oxford study builds on the theory that skin typically rejects earlier than other organs, allowing visible monitoring.
The hope is that these patches can act as an “early warning system” to identify lung rejection.
Should a rash appear on the surgically inserted skin patch, which is placed on the recipient's forearm, it suggests an organ rejection is underway.
This enables doctors to take measures to try to stop the lung rejecting as well.
It is also hoped that the skin patches will offer indicators on the success of the transplant, signalling when the organ is functioning as intended.
The £2 million Sentinel trial, managed by the Surgical Trials Units at the University of Oxford together with NHS Blood and Transplant, is set to involve an estimated 152 patients over three years.
The study follows success in a similar trial for patients who received intestinal transplants. Researchers found that skin displayed a visible rash between one and 10 days before the transplant was rejected.
They also found that patients who received skin flaps from their donors had a much lower rate of organ rejection.
Patients participating in this trial will have a skin patch transplanted onto their lower forearm by a plastic surgeon during the lung transplant procedure.
Fiona Ballantyne, who has applied to be part of the trial, said it will be a “momentous moment for transplant recipients” if it is successful.
She said: "The opportunity to potentially be able to see if your organ is rejecting just by looking at your arm is huge for those of us who are facing transplants."
Adam Alderson, who received a skin graft in a multi-organ transplant in 2015, said: "Rejection is one of an organ recipient’s biggest fears.
"Being able to quickly and easily identify if any rejection is occurring is an incredible thing to be able to do, so if the trial is successful and it can potentially work for a large number of transplant recipients, it could be ground breaking."
Chief investigator and associate professor of plastic, reconstructive, transplant and hand surgery at the University of Oxford, Henk Giele, said: "Lungs are prone to rejection due to their exposure to outside air and high propensity to infection.
“It is often difficult to know if a reaction is caused by infection or rejection as they look the same at the early stages.
"A visible warning system like this is crucial for all transplants, but especially those with higher rejection rates."
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