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Department of Pathology Department of Pathology
  1. Department of Pathology
  2. Research
  3. Center for Transplantation Science (CTS)
  4. Projects

Center for Transplantation Science Projects

Prediction and monitoring of T cell alloreactivity in kidney transplantation

PI: Clarkson Crane MD, Department of Pediatrics

A fundamental challenge in solid organ transplantation is achieving balance between suppressing the alloreactivity of a recipient's adaptive immune system while preserving functional immune responses against infection and malignancy. Our central hypothesis is that prediction and measurement of T cell responses to donor-specific HLA can provide a precision medicine approach to risk stratify and inform immunosuppression of kidney transplant recipients. We aim to validate algorithmic prediction of T cell responses against the donor kidney by measuring ex vivo differences in T cell alloreactivity.

Improved detection and evaluation of anti-HLA alloantibodies

PI: Gerald P Morris MD PhD​, Department of Pathology

The presence of donor specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) in solid organ transplant recipients is associated with antibody-mediated rejection and decreased allograft longevity. We are interested in developing novel approaches for DSA measurement and integration with other testing modalities to improve diagnostic and prognostic value.  

BESTOW

PI: Mita Shah, MD, Department of Medicine

The BESTOW study is a Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, open-label study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tegoprubart in patients undergoing kidney transplantation.

CONCORD

PI: Aleah Brubaker, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine

Dr. Brubaker is the founding member of CONCORD, a national consortium focused on the impact of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) on donation after circulatory death (DCD) abdominal allograft utilization and outcomes. Her clinical and research interests are centered on the ability of in situ and ex situ machine perfusion to metabolically rehabilitate organs in an effort to expand the available donor pool and improve access to safe transplant for waitlisted recipients.

Expanding utilization of DCD liver allografts with prolonged warm ischemic injury by defining the role of normothermic machine perfusion on PPAR signaling and HSC-mediated fibrosis

PIs: Aleah Brubaker, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery; Peter Than MD, Department ofSurgery

Assessment of mitochondrial injury and repair in liver allografts treated with normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) in porcine and human models