A new test may enable donor kidneys to be examined for their 'biological' age rather than their chronological age. The test is aimed at extending the availability of organs for transplant.
 
This allows transplant surgeons to use an organ from a healthy 70-year-old knowing it is in better condition than an organ from an unhealthy 50-year-old, which would have been expected to function better because it was younger.
 
By comparing genetic signs of biological aging with biochemical markers related to kidney function, doctors will be able to better predict how long transplanted kidneys will last.

This article originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of Kidney Transplant Today.