ARREST — Advancing Regeneration Research using Ex Situ Normothermic Liver Perfusion — is a multidisciplinary research consortium in the Netherlands focused on improving how we study, treat, repair and regenerate the human liver.
The project, funded by NWO NWA-ORC, runs from 1 March 2026 to 1 March 2032 and uses normothermic machine perfusion (NMP), an advanced liver perfusion technology that keeps donor livers functioning outside the body under near-natural conditions. This provides a unique opportunity to study living human livers and develop new therapies for liver disease, liver regeneration and liver transplantation.
Liver disease is a major global health challenge, resulting in approximately 780 deaths in Europe alone each day. Premature death and productivity loss cost Europe’s economy around €55 billion annually in GDP losses.
Current liver treatment options remain limited, and there is a significant shortage of donor organs for liver transplant procedures. ARREST addresses these challenges by developing new approaches to reduce the need for transplantation and increase the number of usable donor livers.
By using normothermic machine perfusion as a research platform, ARREST helps bridge the gap between laboratory research and human biology.
This approach allows researchers to better understand liver function and liver disease while enabling more reliable testing of new therapies directly on human tissue. It also supports research that may reduce reliance on animal testing and accelerate the translation of discoveries into clinical application.
Ultimately, ARREST aims to:
By developing more effective liver treatments and regenerative therapies, ARREST aims to improve outcomes for patients with liver disease.
By restoring damaged or previously unusable donor livers, the project may help increase the number of livers available for transplantation.
More effective treatments and better use of donor organs may help lower healthcare costs associated with advanced liver disease and liver transplantation.
Through collaboration between clinicians, researchers, industry partners and patient organisations, ARREST contributes to advancing regenerative medicine, liver regeneration and liver transplant research in the Netherlands and beyond.
ARREST brings together leading academic medical centers, universities, industry partners and patient organisations to develop new solutions for liver disease, liver treatment and liver transplantation.
ARREST is a multidisciplinary research consortium in the Netherlands advancing liver regeneration, liver perfusion, liver disease treatment and liver transplantation through ex situ normothermic machine perfusion.
The ARREST project (Advancing Regeneration Research using Ex Situ Normothermic Liver Perfusion) is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under file number NWA.1766.24.012.
