Progress in Expanding the Organ Donor Pool

Study in a Sentence: New research on organ donation in the United States shows that the recent expansion of organ donation after circulatory death, when organs are recovered after a loss of circulatory function, has limitations but can still help alleviate organ shortages.

Healthy for Humans: Organ transplantation remains the most effective treatment for end-stage organ failure, yet a severe shortage of donor organs persists. In the United States, most transplants rely on deceased donors, historically from patients declared brain dead. The expansion of donation after circulatory death, or when the heart stops, can help narrow the gap between organ supply and demand, but certain limiting factors must be overcome.

Redefining Research: Donation after circulatory death increased from 2% of all donors in 2000 to 49% in 2025, significantly expanding the organ supply for patients suffering from organ failure. Because donation after circulatory death comes with a higher risk of organ dysfunction, efforts are underway to improve recovery and organ quality, like advanced preservation techniques. Donation after circulatory death, along with advances in organ preservation, may improve access to organs and alleviate the perceived need for xenotransplantation—the use of animal organs in humans.