Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Researchers Probe Immune Microenvironment to Prevent Pediatric Liver Transplant Rejection

Children with liver transplants must take immunosuppressant medications for life. To maintain tolerance of the transplanted liver, doctors treat transplant rejection and conduct ongoing maintenance immunosuppression by increasing dosages of medication enough to counteract rejection. CHLA researchers are developing an imaging panel that identifies the cell types implicated in transplant rejection.

In historic procedure, donor liver protects heart transplant

Doctors in Seattle are reporting a history-making case in which a patient received two donor organs, a liver and a heart, to prevent the extreme likelihood that her body would reject a donor heart transplanted alone. In this innovative case, the organ recipient’s own healthy liver was transplanted, domino-like, into a second patient who had advanced liver disease.

Partial Liver Transplants for Kids Key to Preventing Waitlist Deaths and Improving Outcomes

Dozens of children die each year in the U.S. while waiting for a new liver. A new analysis suggests that greater use of partial liver transplants — either from a living donor or by splitting a deceased donor’s liver for two recipients — could save many of these young lives.

Monitoring Epstein-Barr viral load after liver transplant may reduce risk for rare posttransplant complication

A study of adult recipients of liver transplants has found that monitoring transplant recipients for Epstein-Barr virus viral load (EBV VL) helped to reduce risk for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD), a rare but serious potential complication of transplantation. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Great Actions Leave a Mark campaign celebrates the Gift of Life through Living Organ Donation

UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre and The Centre for Living Organ Donation announce today the launch of a new campaign, Great Actions Leave a Mark, www.greatactions.ca. The campaign showcases through artistic photos and video, the stories and scars (the mark) from 39 living organ donors and transplant recipients across Canada.

AASLD Foundation Funds Over $1.5 Million in Hepatology Research and Career Development in 2022

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation, the largest medical society supporter of liver disease research and training in the United States, today announced its combined investment of over $1.5 million in Research and Career Development Awards, Abstract Awards, Emerging Liver Scholars (ELS) Program for medical residents and its new Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Program.

The 2022 award recipients — selected from a highly competitive applicant pool — demonstrate both exceptional aptitude and deep interest in liver disease research and treatment. Their work will further advance the mission of the AASLD Foundation and hepatology as a medical specialty.

Shrinking Liver Cancer Tumors Before Transplant Yields Excellent Outcomes, Researchers Report

Treating liver cancer tumors to shrink them in order to allow the patient to qualify for a liver transplant leads to excellent 10-year post-transplant outcomes, according to new Mount Sinai research published in JAMA Surgery. The results validate current national policies around transplant eligibility.

Risk factors identified for autoimmune hepatitis after liver transplant

A multicenter study performed by a large international consortium that includes UT Southwestern has outlined a set of risk factors and outcomes for patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) that recurs after liver transplantation. The findings, published in the Journal of Hepatology, represent a first step toward better managing and potentially preventing this uncommon condition.

Change in Waiting List Registration, Liver Transplant for Alcoholic Hepatitis During COVID-19

Researchers report waiting list registrations and deceased donor liver transplants in the U.S. for alcoholic hepatitis, which can develop after a short period of alcohol misuse, increased during COVID-19, exceeding volumes forecasted by pre-COVID-19 trends, while trends for alcohol-related cirrhosis and non-alcohol-associated liver disease remained unchanged.

Announcing Virtual Press Conference for Experimental Biology 2021 Meeting

Reporters are invited to join a live Q&A discussion of exciting research announcements at the forefront of the life sciences during a virtual press conference for the Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting. The press conference will be held online from 1–1:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 26, 2021 (RSVP by Friday, April 23).

Reverse-order heart-liver transplant helps prevent rejection for highly sensitized patients

Patients with high levels of antibodies face major challenges getting a transplant. These highly sensitized patients have a higher risk of death while waiting for suitable organs. But there is new hope for highly sensitized patients in need of a combined heart and liver transplant, thanks to an innovative surgical approach at Mayo Clinic.

Researcher Developing Scoring System to Redefine How U.S. Patients are Prioritized for Liver Transplant

Researchers with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are collaborating with faculty at the University of Pennsylvania to develop a risk score that more comprehensively prioritizes liver cancer patients for transplantation.

Lung, Heart, Kidney and Liver Transplant Programs Rank among Nation’s Best

UC San Diego Health’s lung, heart, kidney and liver transplant programs rank at the top nationally in the latest biannual Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) report. Innovative treatment and multi-disciplinary care contribute to the high rankings for one-year survival outcomes.

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas From Johns Hopkins Medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Tuesday.

Liver Transplant Team Part of National Trial to Increase Donor Pool

UC San Diego Health program offers comprehensive care with excellent outcomes Nationally, more than 12,000 people need a liver transplant, including more than 2,300 Californians. Patients can wait several years on the liver transplant wait list in California before receiving…

UC San Diego Health Revives Non-Beating Donor Heart for Successful Transplantation

UC San Diego Health is the first hospital on the West Coast to perform heart transplant surgery from a donor after circulatory death using a new portable organ care system. The investigational procedure could significantly decrease transplant waiting list times and improve patient outcomes.