The International Society of Organ Medicine (ISOM) held its inaugural Council Meeting and Symposium on the Strategic Development of Organ Medicine virtually on July 28. This event marked the formal establishment of the first global academic organization dedicated to the emerging field of organ medicine.
Professor He Xiaoshun
Professor He Xiaoshun, the inaugural president of ISOM and an academic leader of the Organ Transplant Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, chaired the conference. Professor Kwan Man at the University of Hong Kong and Professor Stefan Tullius at Harvard Medical School served as co-chairs. More than 20 leading experts from China were joined by over 20 experts from 6 other countries.
In his opening remarks, President He reviewed the developmental trajectory of organ medicine. He noted that advances in ex vivo organ preservation have transformed organs into stand-alone platforms for scientific investigation, diagnostics, drug screening and surgical training. "ISOM is designed to build an interdisciplinary, transnational academic bridge that accelerates clinical translation and international collaboration, ultimately benefiting patients worldwide," he stated.
Professor Jiefu Huang
Professor Huang Jiefu, honorary president of ISOM and chairman of the China Human Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, delivered a special address. He commended China's contributions to this field and urged the council to reach a consensus and make the discipline mature through guidance.
Professor John Fung
Professor John Fung, honorary president of ISOM and president of The Transplantation Society (TTS), presented a forward-looking perspective on organ medicine. He emphasized that ISOM will play a pivotal role in establishing global standards.
Each expert shared their vision for what organ medicine can achieve in the next 5 years.
Professor Björn Nashan
Professor Björn Nashan noted that perfusion devices can become standardized teaching platforms to promote clinical standardization and internationalization.
Professor Paulo Martins
Professor Paulo Martins of the University of Oklahoma, who also serves as president of the International Society for Organ Preservation and Perfusion Therapy, said that academic organizations should form synergistic forces to advance the field collectively.
Professor Peter Friend
Professor Peter Friend of the University of Oxford, former president of the British Transplantation Society, expressed that substantial progress in organ modification, including defatting and immunomodulation, is expected, with xenotransplantation potentially entering clinical application.
Professor Renato Romagnoli
Professor Renato Romagnoli of the University of Turin, initiator of the International Liver Machine Perfusion Forum, pointed out that technological progress will lower transplant costs. This can benefit more patients, including those in low-income countries.
Professor Umberto Cillo
Professor Umberto Cillo of the University of Padua, president-elect of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, said that the next generation is entering a golden era in organ medicine, with perfusion technology acting as a key driver for research and translation.
Professor Stefan Tullius
Professor Stefan Tullius, vice president of TTS, emphasized that the application scope of organ medicine has expanded from merely ischemic injury repair to tumor treatment, organ repair and gene intervention, profoundly altering transplant medicine.
Professor Artem Monakhov
Professor Artem Monakhov of Moscow State University suggested that the priority tasks include establishing multi-center randomized controlled trials and developing standardized guidelines.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Shi Xiaomin also contributed to the article.
