ASTANA – A team of physician-researchers from Kazakhstan’s University Medical Center (UMC), led by internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Yuriy Pya, has presented the groundbreaking Alem innovation for donor organ preservation and transportation at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, being held from April 13 to Oct. 13, reported the Heart Center Foundation’s press service.
Alem is featured in the Connecting Lives section of Kazakhstan’s pavilion. Photo credit: Heart Center Foundation
Developed with the support of the Foundation, the system can preserve donor organs for more than 24 hours by replicating near-physiological conditions. Preclinical studies have confirmed its effectiveness and safety, and the project is now entering the critical phase of clinical trials.
The system maintains body temperature, oxygenates the blood, and monitors vital parameters in real time. It also offers the potential to treat donor organs that would otherwise be considered unsuitable for transplantation.
“The system can be used not only for preservation but also for treating donor organs that wouldn’t typically be considered viable for transplantation. We can place such organs in the device and perform treatment to make them transplantable. This greatly expands the possibilities of medicine,” said Pya, the project leader and UMC CEO.
It took several years to move from the initial concept to the creation of the functioning device. According to the developers, such technologies go beyond conventional clinical solutions, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and making cutting-edge medical advancements more accessible to those who need them.
“This is a historic moment for Kazakhstan. For the first time, we are presenting a large-scale medical project – Alem – at a global exhibition of this level,” said Heart Center Foundation Director Murat Zaurov. “Our goal is not just to showcase our invention to the world, but to become part of global technological and medical progress.”
