Heart transplantation: Mechanisms of donor heart failure

After a brief overview of the current status of heart transplantation, this chapter describes the molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure, mechanistic aspects of donor organ dysfunction, and the implications of an anoxic ischemic insult (an inherent part of harvesting and implantation). Although the understanding of these mechanisms may not result in a change in our current practice, it is likely that the characterization of specific mechanistic perturbations in donor organs will allow for the development of targeted interventions.