RxPG News : Transplantation

Study finds good outcomes for older lung transplant patients

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:40:00 PST

In the world of organ donation, it has been common practice to exclude older patients from receiving transplants because of limited donor supply and lower survival rates.

Stanford study finds transplant patient thrives 2 years after stopping immunosuppressive drugs

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:00:00 PST

STANFORD, Calif. - Luck smiled on Larry Kowalski when his brother agreed to donate a kidney Kowalski needed to live. He was even luckier that his brother's kidney was such a good match.

Researcher transplants stem cells to try to save patients' legs

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:00:00 PST

CHICAGO -- A Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researcher has launched the first U.S. trial in which a purified form of subjects' own adult stem cells was transplanted into their leg muscles with severely blocked arteries to try to grow new small blood vessels and restore circulation in their legs.

Implanting embryonic cardiac cells prevents arrhythmias

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:00:00 PST

When researchers at Cornell, the University of Bonn and the University of Pittsburgh transplanted living embryonic heart cells into cardiac tissue of mice that had suffered heart attacks, the mice became resistant to cardiac arrhythmias, thereby avoiding one of the most dangerous and fatal consequences of heart attacks.

Cross-species transplant in rhesus macaques is step toward diabetes cure for humans

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

St. Louis, Oct. 18, 2007 � With an eye on curing diabetes, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have successfully transplanted embryonic pig pancreatic cells destined to produce insulin into diabetic macaque monkeys � all without the need for risky immune suppression drugs that prevent rejection.

Reunion with patient inspires follow-up study on treatment for DiGeorge syndrome

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

More than 20 years ago, doctors at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA performed a successful bone marrow transplant on a baby girl who was born without a thymus gland and was suffering from severe immune deficiency. It marked the first time a bone marrow transplant, rather than a thymic transplant, had been used to treat the genetic condition known as DiGeorge Syndrome (DGS).

Kidney research points to ways to more effectively use organs

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:00:00 PST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. � Several new studies suggest how transplant surgeons can make more effective use of kidneys from deceased donors � even those that are at the outer limits of acceptance criteria � according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Immune system modulation can halt liver failure in animals

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have a developed a totally new approach to treating liver failure � manipulating the immune response. If the results of the animal study can be applied in human patients, the approach may be able to keep patients alive until donor organs become available or to support liver function until the organ can regenerate itself, eliminating the need for a transplant. The findings are being reported in the journal PLOS One.

Brown scientists take the petri dish to new dimensions

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] � A team of Brown University biomedical engineers has invented a 3-D Petri dish that can grow cells in three dimensions, a method that promises to quickly and cheaply produce more realistic cells for drug development and tissue transplantation.

Sexual function affected by stem cell transplant according to long-term study

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2007 -- A long-term study found that a type of stem cell transplant used for patients with life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, results in decreased sexual function and activity for recipients. Further, males are likely to recover from these changes over time, while the sexuality of female patients remains compromised. In addition, neither male nor female long-term cancer survivors regained levels of sexual activity and function equal to those of their peers who have not had cancer, according to a Blood First Edition Paper prepublished online today. Blood is the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

Embryonic stem cells used to grow cartilage

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

HOUSTON, Sept. 6, 2007 � Rice University biomedical engineers have developed a new technique for growing cartilage from human embryonic stem cells, a method that could be used to grow replacement cartilage for the surgical repair of knee, jaw, hip, and other joints.

U of M begins nation's first clinical trial using T-reg cells from cord blood in leukemia treatment

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PST

University of Minnesota researchers have initiated a ground breaking clinical trial to determine the optimal dose and safety of T regulatory cells (T-regs) to decrease the risk of immune reactions common in patients undergoing blood and marrow transplantation.

Inhaling nitric oxide helps transplant success

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. � Administering inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during surgery helps protect liver transplant patients from organ failure, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Facial transplantation may be a safer option, study shows

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

CINCINNATI/LOUISVILLE�Researchers in Cincinnati and Louisville report that immunosuppressive risks associated with facial transplantation may be lower than thought, possibly making the procedure a safer option for people who have suffered severe facial injuries.

Better life support for artificial liver cells

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

COLUMBUS , Ohio -- Researchers at Ohio State University are developing technology for keeping liver cells alive and functioning normally inside bioartificial liver-assist devices (BLADs).

New treatment for glaucoma shows promise in laboratory, say Iowa State researchers

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

AMES, Iowa Iowa State University researchers have developed a new technique that successfully treated rats for blindness caused by glaucoma. Their experimental treatment will be used on canine patients in the next year. If successful, it is expected to move to human trials.

First case of successful ovarian tissue transplantation between two, nonidentical sisters

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

A woman, whose ovaries had failed due to damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has received a successful ovarian transplant from her genetically non-identical sister. The transplant restored her ovarian function, she started to menstruate and, after a year, doctors were able to recover two mature oocytes from her ovaries and fertilise them to produce two embryos.

UF to lead research on life-threatening fungus

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Hear the word fungus, and mushrooms and mold might leap to mind. But the University of Florida is about to house the nation's first research repository for one species that has nothing to do with pizza toppings or marbling blue cheese: Aspergillus, which increasingly poses a major health threat to cancer patients andtransplant recipients.

New technique to 'see' and protect transplants successful in diabetic animal model

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found a way to overcome a major stumbling block to developing successful insulin-cell transplants for people with type I diabetes.

First mouse lung transplants lay groundwork for new ways to prevent transplant rejection in humans

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

St. Louis, July 11, 2006 Lung transplants have been performed successfully for more than 20 years in humans but never before in mice until now. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed the first mouse model of lung transplantation, and theyre hoping it will help explain why the success of the procedure in humans lags far behind other solid organ transplants.

Neuroscientist comments on stem cell study's success in helping primates with Parkinson's

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Tampa, FL (July 10, 2007) -- A University of South Florida neuroscientist reports that the cutting-edge research study of human stem cells in primates with Parkinsons disease is compelling on several fronts particularly how the transplanted cells did their job of easing disease symptoms.

A gene that protects from kidney disease

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Michigan have discovered a gene that protects us against a serious kidney disease. In the current online issue of Nature Genetics they report that mutations in the gene cause nephronopthisis (NPHP) in humans and mice. NPHP is a disease marked by kidney degeneration during childhood that leads to kidney failure requiring organ transplantation. The insights might help develop effective, noninvasive therapies.

Tough tubes -- Carbon nanotubes endure heavy wear and tear

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 PST

Troy, N.Y. -- The ability of carbon nanotubes to withstand repeated stress yet retain their structural and mechanical integrity is similar to the behavior of soft tissue, according to a new study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Scientists identify a mouse embryonic stem cell more like our own

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Scientists have discovered a new type of mouse embryonic stem cell that is the closest counterpart yet to human embryonic stem (ES) cells, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today. The cells are expected to serve as an improved model for human ES cells in studies of regeneration, disease pathology and basic stem cell biology.

First study transplanting angina patients' purified stem cells shows safety and symptom relief

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

CHICAGO --- The first U.S. study to transplant a potent form of purified adult stem cells into the heart muscle of patients with severe angina provided evidence that the procedure is safe and produced a reduction in angina pain as well as improved functioning in patients' daily lives, reports the lead researcher at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

New vaccine prevents CMV infection and disease in mice

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have patented a strategy for developing a human vaccine to prevent against Human Cytomegalovirus (hCMV) infection and disease.

A faster way to recover from chemotherapy and marrow transplant

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers at Childrens Hospital Boston report finding a new way to increase stem cells in blood, suggesting a possible treatment to help patients who undergo chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant for leukemia and other cancers recover their immune function more quickly. In the June 21 issue of Nature, they demonstrate that a stable analog of prostaglandin can enhance the blood-forming system, both during embryonic development and after its been damaged.

Elevated pepsin levels may lead to rejection of lung transplants

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

Researchers in the United Kingdom have demonstrated that high levels of pepsin, a digestive enzyme that is a marker for gastric aspiration, are associated with acute rejection of a lung transplant. This research provides further evidence that lung rejection may be caused by factors other than alloimmunity, the attack the body mounts to protect itself against foreign cells.

Newspaper articles on organ transplantation mostly positive, study shows

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A content analysis of newspaper stories about organ and tissue donation, conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo, found an almost 4:1 ratio of positive-to-negative articles on the subject.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers develop 'off-the-shelf' vascular grafts

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

TORONTO, June 15 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine investigators have engineered artificial blood vessels from muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and a biodegradable polymer that exhibit extensive remodeling and remain free of blockages when grafted into rats. The results of their study, which is being presented at the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) North America Chapter meeting being held June 13 to 16 at the Westin Harbor Castle conference center in Toronto, has potentially significant implications for the treatment of heart and kidney diseases, where there is a critical need for new sources of blood vessels for vascular grafts.

University of Pittsburgh researchers culture blood-forming stem cells from human fat tissue

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

TORONTO, June 14 Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have successfully isolated and cultured human hematopoietic stem cells from fat, or adipose, tissue, suggesting that they have found another important source of cells for reconstituting the bone marrow of patients undergoing intensive radiation therapy for blood cancers. They are presenting this ground-breaking research at the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) North American Chapter meeting being held June 13 to 16 at the Westin Harbor Castle conference center in Toronto.

Carnegie Mellon scientists devise method to increase kidney transplants

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGHComputer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new computerized method for matching living kidney donors with kidney disease patients that can increase the number of kidney transplants and save lives.

Research shows cord blood comparable to matched bone marrow

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

University of Minnesota researchers report that umbilical cord blood transplants may offer blood cancer patients better outcomes than bone marrow transplants, according to an analysis of outcome data performed at the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Studies to find better ways to preserve human eggs, ovarian tissue under way

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

The goal is to make human eggs, ovarian tissue, blood vessels, even whole organs available when needed.

Gene expression patterns predict rapid decline in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients

Wed, 30 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH, May 30 -- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease typically characterized by the slow but progressive onset of shortness of breath or cough. Most patients live about five years after diagnosis. However, according to a new study being published today in the online journal PLoS ONE, a subset of patients with a specific genetic profile has a much more rapid progression to complete pulmonary failure and death without a lung transplant.

Adult stem cells from human cord umbilical cord blood successfully engineered to make insulin

Fri, 25 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

GALVESTON, Texas -- In a fundamental discovery that someday may help cure type 1 diabetes by allowing people to grow their own insulin-producing cells for a damaged or defective pancreas, medical researchers here have reported that they have engineered adult stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood to produce insulin.

UPMC begins study of heart support device as a bridge to transplantation

Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH, May 21 Doctors at UPMC have begun a study using an investigational cardiac device, the VentrAssist Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAD) to see whether it can be used safely and effectively in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Quality versus quantity -- transforming kidney transplant policy

Thu, 17 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

Boston May 17, 2007 -- A new article published in American Journal of Transplantation examines the dilemmas faced in trying to change kidney transplant policy; addressing the need to balance the benefits of immediate transplants with those to be had from waiting for a more suitable match. The article highlights some of the important points to be considered in any new policy-making, and suggests a new method for allocation, whereby the patients are involved in the decision process.

UPMC performs first beating heart transplant procedure in the US

Thu, 17 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH, May 17 Protected by its own nutrients and blood supply, a beating heart supported by an investigational organ preservation device was successfully transplanted into a 47-year-old man with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension on Sunday, April 8. The surgery was performed at UPMC by Kenneth R. McCurry, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, division of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of cardiopulmonary transplantation at UPMC's Heart, Lung and Esophageal Surgery Institute.

'Nondanger' signal lowers immune reactions

Tue, 15 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

Rheumatology researchers have discovered that a well-known cell receptor sends a signal to dampen the immune system.

Nerves controlling muscles are best repaired with similar nerves

Fri, 11 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

When repairing severed or damaged motor nerves with a donor nerve graft, surgeons have traditionally used a sensory nerve from another area of the patient's body. However, these patients often do not fully regain function in the injured area.

Ronald W. Busuttil receives American Surgical Association's highest honor

Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil, professor and executive chairman of the UCLA Department of Surgery, has received the American Surgical Association's Medallion for Scientific Achievement, joining a list that includes the nation's most distinguished surgeons.

CT and MRI accurate for pre-transplant evaluation of patients with cirrhosis

Sat, 05 May 2007 00:29:02 PST

CT and MRI are highly accurate at determining which patients would be optimal candidates for liver transplantation, says a recent study.

Machine preservation may promote more organ sharing

Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Preserving the kidneys of deceased older donors on a pump as opposed to the conventional method of storing and transporting organs in a cooler may lower hospital costs, improve initial organ function, and promote greater use and more sharing of organs, according to new research by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Lipocalin-2 linked with inflammatory response during heart transplants.

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 12:14:24 PST

A new study, led by Felix Aigner, M.D., has identified a protein known as Lipocalin-2 (Lcn-2) as potentially responsible for regulating the bodyâs inflammatory response during heart transplants. One of the major complications involved with many transplantations is the damage done to the transplanted heart during and immediately following surgery, known as ischemia and reperfusion (IR).

LCT reports major step forward for islet transplantation in diabetes patient

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:00:00 PST

Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT) today announced it has published evidence outlining the survival and identification of live porcine islet cells and insulin production in a human patient 10 years after receiving a pig islet cell transplant.

Outpatient medication errors common, difficult to detect among transplant patients

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 PST

Medication errors appear to be common, often hidden and associated with adverse events among patients receiving outpatient care after an organ transplant, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The health care system is involved with nearly one-third of these errors.

Emory algorithm improves kidney transplant chances for sensitized patients

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 05:00:00 PST

Approximately one-third of the patients on the national waiting list for kidney transplants have only a small chance of receiving a new organ, no matter how long they are on the list. Due to prior transplants, pregnancies or blood transfusions, these patients have developed antibodies that make it very difficult to match them with donor organs.

Primary graft dysfunction is risk factor for a later serious lung transplant problem

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 PST

Primary graft dysfunction, a common complication that affects up to 25 percent of lung transplant patients shortly after surgery, constitutes a significant risk factor for later deadly bronchiolotis obliterans syndrome (BOS).

JDRF awards Emory $2.5 million to develop islet transplant technology

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 05:00:00 PST

Using a $2.5 million, three-year grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Emory transplant researchers plan to develop pig islets as an alternative to human islets for transplant into patients with Type 1 diabetes. If their research is successful, clinical trials of the porcine islet transplants into humans could begin within the next three years. Christian P. Larsen, MD, DPhil, director of the Emory Transplant Center, is principal investigator of the grant.

African-Americans receive fewer stem cell transplants than whites

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:00:00 PST

Lower transplant rates in ethnic communities may be explained somewhat by a lack of suitable anonymous donors, a problem the medical community has long known and been working to address. Surprisingly, the study found the discrepancy in treatment held true even when the transplant was autologous (e.g. self-donated stem cells were used) or when the cells were donated by a relative, typically a sibling.

Cord Blood Registry achieves industry-leading stem cell recovery with new automation technology

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:00:00 PST

San Bruno, CAFebruary 7, 2007Cord Blood Registry® (CBR) today announced that it has completed initial validation testing of the company's proprietary CellAdvantageTM system using new automation technology for cell processing, developed by ThermoGenesis and distributed by GE Healthcare. The new technology, called the AXP AutoXpressTM Platform (AXPTM), is the industry's first functionally-closed, automated cord blood stem cell processing technology.

Looking at Liver Retransplantation

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 12:02:04 PST

A new study on liver retransplantation (re-LT) over a 15 year period at a clinic in Germany found that indications for the surgery had changed and there were fewer rejections, complications, and recurrence of disease during that time. The positive trend may be due to improvements in intensive care management and immunosuppressants, along with early decisions about when to retransplant despite the shortage of quality donor organs.

New culture method for hepatitis C virus uses primary hepatocytes and patient serum

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:00:00 PST

Seattle, WA -- Researchers open the way for improved study of hepatitis C virus by devising a novel virus culture system that allows replication of patient-isolated virus in nontransformed hepatocytes, instead of culture-adapted virus strains in transformed cell lines. The related report by Lázaro et al, Hepatitis C virus replication in transfected and serum-infected cultured human fetal hepatocytes, appears in the February issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Operations research pioneer outlines ways to make kidney transplant allocation more equitable

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:00:00 PST

Stefanos A. Zenios, a professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, renowned for his application of Operations Research (O.R.) to tackle some of modern medicine's thorniest problems, has completed new research that could revolutionize kidney allocation for transplant waiting list candidates. The paper, Recipient Choice Can Address the Efficiency-Equity Trade-Off in Kidney Transplantation: A Mechanism Design Model, was co-written by Zenios with Xuanming Su at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. It was recently published in the journal Management Science.

A transplant in time

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

In hemophilia, a mutated gene prevents the production of a critical blood-clotting protein. Treatments for hemophilia and other such genetic diseases, when they exist, may consist of risky blood transfusions or expensive enzyme replacement therapy. But what if the body could be induced to begin producing these proteins, say by transplanting healthy tissue with the abilities that are lacking?

Common cold virus leads to death in lung transplant patients

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

Human rhinovirus (HRV), the leading cause of most common colds, struck two immunosuppressed lung transplant patients, leading to progressive respiratory failure, graft dysfunction and death. The two were part of a group of 11 transplant patients who suffered clinically significant respiratory infection from HRV in both the upper and lower airways, overturning the long-held belief that HRV affects only upper airway tissue.

Researchers create genetically matched embryonic stem cells for transplantation

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report a new and efficient strategy, using eggs alone, for creating mouse embryonic stem cells that can be transplanted without the risk of rejection because the cells are compatible with the recipient's immune system. The findings will be published online in the journal Science on December 14.

Preventing graft-versus-host disease disease after bone marrow transplant -- without toxicity

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

Unless the donor is an identical twin, patients undergoing bone-marrow transplant (also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or HSCT) must first receive powerful chemotherapy drugs to wipe out their immune system and prevent their bodies from rejecting the donated cells. Research from Childrens Hospital Boston and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has helped demonstrate that this punishing regimen increases the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in which the donors cells mount an immune response against the patient. But the most recent findings also suggest that the risk for GVHD can be reduced by replacing a natural antibiotic protein, known as bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI), which is depleted when patients undergo chemotherapy.

Pittsburgh-based team engineers muscle, bone cell differentiation with aid of ink-jet printer

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh-based research team has created and used an innovative ink-jet system to print bio-ink patterns that direct muscle-derived stem cells from adult mice to differentiate into both muscle cells and bone cells. The results, which could revolutionize the design of replacement body tissues, will be presented Sunday, Dec. 10 at the 46th annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in San Diego by Julie (Jadlowiec) Phillippi, a Carnegie Mellon University post-doctoral research fellow supported by the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative.

Transplanted brain cells hold promise for Parkinson's disease

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinsons disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say.

BIDMC's Terry Strom, M.D., honored by American Society of Nephrology

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 05:00:00 PST

BOSTON -- Terry B. Strom, MD, director of the Division of Immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Scientific Director of BIDMCs Transplant Center, received the 2006 Homer W. Smith Award from the American Society of Nephrology at their annual meeting last month in San Diego. Established in 1964, the award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions which fundamentally affect the science of nephrology.

Review urges limited use of device to keep heart transplant hopefuls alive

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 05:00:00 PST

An implantable pump can help heart failure patients live and recover strength while they wait for a transplant. But an evaluation of the device's track record in the United Kingdom concludes that the UK's National Health Service should continue to restrict the technology's use -- at least for now.

Obese kidney transplant patients twice as likely to die in the first year or suffer organ failure

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 05:00:00 PST

Survival and successful kidney transplant rates are significantly lower when people are obese, according to a study of over 2,000 patients published in the November issue of Transplant International.

Severity of diabetes is key determinant of heart transplant success

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 05:00:00 PST

Having diabetes should not automatically disqualify you from being considered for a heart transplant, according to a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Predicting survival in liver transplant patients

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:15:00 PST

A new model based on specific characteristics of the donor and the recipient may help predict survival after liver transplantation, according to a new study.

Three-in-one virus killer prevents common, often fatal infections

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:00:00 PST

A novel combination therapy drastically reduces the infection rate of three viruses and risk of death in transplant patients with compromised immune systems. The findings, to be reported in the Nov. 1 print edition of Nature Medicine, originate from a study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children's Hospital.

First Quantum Grant to fund stem cell repair of damage from stroke

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 04:00:00 PST

HOUSTON, Oct. 9, 2006 The National Institutes of Health has named researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Rice University in Houston as the first and only recipients of the inaugural Quantum Grant for their international research initiative to regenerate damaged brain cells and blood vessels for the treatment of stroke.

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and UPMC surgeons save two lives with domino transplant

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:00:00 PST

Transplant surgeons at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and UPMC have saved two patients with life-threatening liver conditions utilizing a technique known as a domino transplant. It is only the nation's second domino transplant involving a patient with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD).

Landmark study of islet transplantation reveals potential benefits in uncontrolled type 1 diabetes

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, September 27, 2006 -- The results of the world's first multicenter clinical trial of islet transplantation have confirmed the technique's potential benefits in patients with difficult-to-control type 1 (or juvenile) diabetes. Published in the September 28, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the international team of investigators report that the Edmonton Protocol for islet transplantation can safely and successfully promote long-term stabilization of blood sugar levels in brittle diabetes patients and in some cases, relieve them of the need for insulin injections altogether for at least two years.

Hopkins study reveals white blood cells can both hurt and help transplanted kidneys

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

In an example of biological irony, the same white blood cell chemistry known to damage kidneys used for transplants may also help prevent such damage, according to a federally funded study in genetically engineered mice at Johns Hopkins.

Transfusion-free surgical program reduced use of blood products for all liver transplant patients

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

Development of a transfusion-free surgical program for Jehovah's Witness patients undergoing liver transplantation also has helped reduce the overall use of blood products for non-Jehovah's Witnesses undergoing the procedure, according to a study in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

SALT protocol improves quality of donor lungs significantly

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 17:50:00 PST

By performing simple clinical maneuvers to improve donor lung quality as part of the San Antonio Lung Transplant (SALT) protocol, researchers significantly increased the number of available donor lungs and transplant procedures without compromising recipient pulmonary function, length of hospital stay or survival.

Shorter distance on six-minute walk test points up a greater risk of death

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

For idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients awaiting lung transplantation, a simple walk test can predict mortality rates. A new study found that individuals with IPF who can cover less than 680 feet during the six-minute test are four times more likely to die than those who can walk greater distances.

Upgrading donor lung quality to improve availability

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

MRI can track survival of pancreatic islets after transplantation

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an approved contrast agent may provide a practical way of monitoring the survival of transplanted pancreatic islets. In the September issue of the journal Diabetes, researchers from the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report successfully tracking over time the fate of islets transplanted into mice using a protocol currently being tested in human patients.

Costimulation blockade: Will this lead to rejection-free transplants?

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:20:00 PST

Years ago, the idea of attaching a donor limb onto a patient's body would have been the stuff of science fiction. But to date about two-dozen people around the world have received hand transplants.

Pall system to detect blood bacteria given CE mark

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 04:00:00 PST

East Hills, NY (September 5, 2006) -- Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL) announced the CE marking of its eBDS System to detect bacterial contamination of red blood cells, the most widely transfused blood component. The Pall eBDS is a highly sensitive culture-based test routinely used by blood centers to detect bacterial contamination of platelets, the leading infectious cause of sickness and death from a transfusion. Results of a new study presented at the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) 2006 Congress show the efficacy of the system in also detecting bacteria that are commonly found as contaminants of red blood cells.

Hepatorenal syndrome patients best benefited by a combined liver-kidney transplant

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:29:00 PST

New UCLA research shows that combined liver-kidney transplants appear to benefit patients with diseases in both organs, including patients with potentially reversible kidney failure who have been receiving dialysis for longer than two months. The Archives of Surgery will publish the findings in its August issue.

Combined liver-kidney transplant beneficial for patients with dual organ disease

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 04:00:00 PST

Combined liver and kidney transplant appears to benefit patients with diseases in both organs, including those with a condition known as hepatorenal syndrome who have been receiving dialysis for more than two months, according to an article in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Failure of 'scout cells' may lead to cancer in transplant patients

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 04:00:00 PST

Columbus , Ohio A serious form of cancer that occurs in some transplant patients may arise because cells that normally serve as scouts for the immune system become weakened, a new study suggests.

'Domino' transplant program makes best use of altruistic donated kidneys

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:34:00 PST

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers reporting their early experiences with "domino" kidney donation suggest that wider use of this strategy could effectively double the benefit of the organs from these non-directed, altruistic living donors.

'Domino' transplant program makes best use of altruistic donated kidneys

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 04:00:00 PST

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers reporting their early experiences with domino kidney donation suggest that wider use of this strategy could effectively double the benefit of the organs from these non-directed, altruistic living donors.

Natural approach to immune regulation may help transplant patients

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 04:00:00 PST

Human leukocyte antigen G, or HLA-G, is a member of a gene family called major histocompatibility complex that provokes an immune response, says Dr. Anatolij Horuzsko, reproductive immunologist at the Medical College of Georgia.

Engineering electrically conducting tissue for the heart

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 04:00:00 PST

In complete heart block, electrical signals cannot pass from the heart's upper chambers (atria) to the lower chambers (ventricles), leading to heart failure. In normal hearts, electrical impulses move first through the atria, then pause at the atrioventricular (AV) node. Then, after a short delay that allows the ventricles to fill with blood, the AV node releases the impulses, which move through the ventricles causing them to contract. In this way, the beats of the atria and ventricles are synchronized.

MUHC announces a transplant first in Quebec

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 04:00:00 PST

Combined heart/liver transplants are so rare that the best technique for a combined implantation has not yet been elucidated, says Dr. Kevin Lachapelle, a Cardiac Surgeon at the MUHC, who performed the combined procedure with Dr. Peter Metrakos (Liver Surgeon). Historically these procedures are done separately, but because both organs were procured from Quebec City at the same time by MUHC Drs. Ergina and Paraskevas and because sequential transplants can have a profound negative effect on the heart, we decided a simultaneous implantation offered the best hope of success.

British doctors carry out transplant with beating heart

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 17:09:00 PST

Doctors at a hospital have successfully transplanted a beating heart into a 58-year-old patient in the first operation of its kind in Britain. The transplant was carried out two weeks ago at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, northeast of London. The male patient was doing 'extremely well', according to the hospital Monday.

Telephone counseling improves lung transplant quality of life

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 04:00:00 PST

Although the counseling did not improve the survival rates or physical functioning of these individuals, the researchers were encouraged that their quality of life was improved.

New preservative increases shelf life of blood platelets - decreases risk of harmful reactions

Wed, 31 May 2006 04:00:00 PST

In the wake of mass casualties from either natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Indonesia, or combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan extending the shelf life of platelets could have global implications for those in critical need of the blood product.

Deaths from rodent virus raise need for tracking system

Wed, 24 May 2006 04:00:00 PST

The cases and subsequent recommendations are outlined in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Carnegie Mellon researchers say use of switchgrass could solve energy woes

Thu, 04 May 2006 04:00:00 PST

Our report indicates the time is right for America to begin a transition to ethanol derived from switchgrass, said Scott Matthews, an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. A 25 percent hike in gas prices at the pump since December adds to the researchers' call for more ethanol derived from switchgrass, a perennial tall grass used as forage for livestock. Gasoline prices in the U.S. are approaching an average of $3 a gallon. The Carnegie Mellon findings were published in the May 1 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Older donor hearts just as good - Research

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 18:25:00 PST

Patients who receive healthy hearts from donors 50 years of age and older appear to fare just as well as patients who receive younger hearts, and that may be good news for potentially expanding a small donor pool, a University of Alberta study has found.

Another successful face transplant in China

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 18:00:00 PST

Doctors in China have performed the country's first face transplant, and the second such operation in the world. A surgical team at the Xijing hospital in Xi'an replaced two-thirds of the face of 30-year-old Li Guoxing, who was disfigured after a bear mauled him two years ago, Zhang Yingzhi, the president of the hospital, said Friday.

Another Implant of Total Artificial Heart TAH-t

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:47:00 PST

A cardiac surgery team at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Pauley Heart Center has performed the first artificial heart implant on the East Coast. The CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart, or TAH-t, is the only total artificial heart approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Predicting successful outcomes in living-donor liver transplants

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:38:00 PST

A new study on identifying which patients were likely to have poor outcomes following a living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) found that measuring how a certain non-toxic dye was eliminated by the liver shortly after surgery was an accurate indicator of liver function, and therefore a reliable indicator of the outcome of the procedure. The study used a simple non-invasive device to measure the dye, making it particularly useful in treating transplant patients.

Transplantation Report 2005

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:00:00 PST

More than 64 percent of patients who underwent transplantation between 2000 and 2003 survived for at least three years, in comparison to slightly more than 55 percent of individuals operated on between 1988 and 1994.

Plastic surgeons countdown first full facial transplantation

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:00:00 PST

For the first time, we have scientific data that takes us beyond traditional reconstructive techniques and partial facial transplantation, said ASPS President Bruce Cunningham, MD. What we thought of as a possibility reconstructing the entire face of someone with a severe facial disfigurement, in one surgery, from one complete facial skin flap taken from a donor is no longer just theory, but will become an actuality.

Porcine islets offer promise for human diabetic patients

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:00:00 PST

Islet cell transplantation has been successful in reversing type 1 diabetes in humans, but the limited availability of islet cells greatly diminishes the possibility of meeting the medical needs of more than one million Americans who have the disease. Each year, only 3,000 to 4,000 donor organs are available, and each organ can only produce enough cells for, at most, one transplant.

Liver transplants from non-heart beating donors can increase organ supply

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:05:00 PST

Liver transplants from non-heart beating donors have the potential to increase the supply of organs by as much as 20%, according to experts in this weeks BMJ.

Findings advance use of adult stem cells for replacement bone

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 05:00:00 PST

The research, which appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is notable not just because of the science researchers found they could coax bone cells into produce up to 75 times more calcium but also because the study was conducted by an undergraduate bioengineering senior, Néha Datta.