Highlights

Experimental antibody agent likely to improve survival outcomes for kidney transplant patients

Thursday, 2 February 2012- New research published online in the FASEB Journal details a new antibody, called "OPN-305" that may significantly improve survival outcomes for those receiving donated kidneys and other...

Edited by: JV

Stopping immunosuppressive prednisone soon after kidney transplant found to be safe

Tuesday, 31 January 2012- Rapid discontinuation of the immunosuppressive steroid prednisone after a kidney transplant can help prevent serious side effects, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical...

Edited by: JV

Correcting anemia would make kidney transplants more successful

Wednesday, 28 December 2011- Correcting anemia, a red blood cell deficiency, can preserve kidney function in many kidney transplant recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American...

Edited by: JV

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy does not compromise results for pediatric recipients

Monday, 7 November 2011- Despite the apparent safety of laparoscopic kidney procurement (laparoscopic donor nephrectomy [LDN]) in adults, doubts have persisted about its use in pediatric recipients, following the publication of a...

Edited by: JV

Higher cancer risk for organ transplants recipients, says US study

Thursday, 3 November 2011- Patients who have received a solid organ transplant, such as kidney, liver, heart or lung, have an overall cancer risk that is double that of the general population, with an increased risk for many...

Edited by: JV

Age not an obstacle to live kidney donation

Wednesday, 2 November 2011- Healthy, older seniors can act as living kidney donors, with overall survival among recipients similar to that seen with younger donors, according to a US study.

There was no difference in ten-year...

Edited by: JV

Cell therapy lowers drug needs after kidney transplant

Friday, 7 October 2011- Inducing immune tolerance with donor CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells and T cells may lessen the need for lifelong immunosuppressive drugs after kidney transplant, researchers said.

In a small...

Edited by: JV

Using generic drug proves safe for kidney transplant patients

Friday, 16 September 2011- A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that substitution of a brand name immunosuppressive drug with a generic (manufactured by Sandoz) for preventing rejection of...

Edited by: JV

Vienna researchers report alternative treatment to help kidney transplant patients

Thursday, 4 August 2011- There is now a new alternative to immunosuppressive treatment after kidney transplants which comes without the usual severe side effects. The Medical University in Vienna, Austria, was significantly...

Edited by: JV

HLA desensitising increases survival in kidney transplant

Tuesday, 2 August 2011- Survival after kidney transplantation improved significantly in patients who underwent desensitisation involving depletion of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies, data from an 11-year clinical experience...

Edited by: JV

Immunosuppressive drugs led to fewer kidney transplant rejection, says US study

Tuesday, 2 August 2011- For the thousands of patients who receive kidney transplants in the US each year, preventing organ rejection without compromising other aspects of health requires a delicate balance of medications....

Edited by: JV

Patients' own kidney cells can be gathered and reprogrammed to avoid costly dialysis

Friday, 29 July 2011- Approximately 60 million people across the globe have chronic kidney disease, and many will need dialysis or a transplant. Breakthrough research published in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology...

Edited by: JV

Waitlisted kidney patients positively view successful xenotransplantations

Tuesday, 12 July 2011- The organ transplant deficit is leading to an increase in the importance of solid organ xenotransplantation. However, the use of animals for human transplantation causes a certain amount of opposition in...

Edited by: JV

Tight glucose control after kidney transplant does not improve graft success

Thursday, 7 July 2011- Tight glucose control early after kidney transplantation doesn't improve graft success, researchers found in a group of largely diabetic patients.

Delayed graft function rates remained similar at 18% with...

Edited by: JV

Kidney transplant patients do better with alemtuzumab

Friday, 20 May 2011- Kidney transplant patients -- especially low-risk ones -- do better with alemtuzumab (Campath) for antibody induction therapy than with conventional therapies, researchers say.

There was a significantly...

Edited by: JV