 |
|
Cancer drug effectively treats transplant rejections
December 29, 2008CINCINNATI-University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a new therapy for transplant patients, targeting the antibody-producing plasma cells that can cause organ rejection.
Results of the study are published in the Dec. 27, 2008, edition of the journal Transplantation.
Steve Woodle, MD, and colleagues found that a cancer drug-bortezomib-used to treat multiple myeloma, or cancer of the plasma cells, is effective in treating rejection episodes caused by antibodies that target transplanted kidneys and reversing rejection episodes that did not respond to standard therapies.
B-lymphocytes, or B cells, play a large role in the humoral immune response by making immune proteins that attack transplanted organs.
"We found a body of literature demonstrating that bortezomib works well in suppressing transplant rejection in the laboratory," says Woodle, lead author of the study and chief of transplant surgery at UC. "Moreover, it worked well in models of autoimmune diseases."
T-lymphocytes, or T cells, are white blood cells that were commonly thought to cause the rejection of transplanted organs.
Woodle and his team began searching for agents that targeted plasma cells in 2005.
"It has become clear that plasma cells and the antibodies they produce play a bigger role in rejection than previously thought, and the development of therapies targeting these cells has lagged," he says. "We realized that current therapies don't target the plasma cells which may produce the antibody, in general."
Researchers administered this drug to six kidney transplant recipients with treatment-resistant organ rejection, evaluating and recording their responses to the treatment.
In each case, treatment with the drug provided prompt rejection reversal, prolonged reductions in antibody levels and improved organ function with suppression of recurrent rejection for at least five months.
Jason Everly, a board-certified oncology pharmacist in the division of transplant surgery at UC and co-author of the study, says the toxicities associated with this drug were predictable and manageable and were much less than those associated with other anti-cancer agents.
"We are pleased to see its toxicities are similar in transplant recipients suffering from treatment-resistant mixed organ rejection," he adds. "We hope it will be a viable therapeutic treatment option in this patient group."
Woodle says although this data is promising, it is difficult to overestimate the implications of this drug.
"We have an immunosuppressive agent that for the first time can target antibody-producing plasma cells with an efficacy similar to drugs that target T cells," he says. "This has significant implications for transplantation and auto immune disease."
UC researchers are currently conducting four industry-supported clinical trials to expand these findings.
University of Cincinnati
B-lymphocytes, or B cells, play a large role in the humoral immune response by making immune proteins that attack transplanted organs.
"We found a body of literature demonstrating that bortezomib works well in suppressing transplant rejection in the laboratory," says Woodle, lead author of the study and chief of transplant surgery at UC. "Moreover, it worked well in models of autoimmune diseases."
T-lymphocytes, or T cells, are white blood cells that were commonly thought to cause the rejection of transplanted organs.
Woodle and his team began searching for agents that targeted plasma cells in 2005.
"It has become clear that plasma cells and the antibodies they produce play a bigger role in rejection than previously thought, and the development of therapies targeting these cells has lagged," he says. "We realized that current therapies don't target the plasma cells which may produce the antibody, in general."
Researchers administered this drug to six kidney transplant recipients with treatment-resistant organ rejection, evaluating and recording their responses to the treatment.
In each case, treatment with the drug provided prompt rejection reversal, prolonged reductions in antibody levels and improved organ function with suppression of recurrent rejection for at least five months.
Jason Everly, a board-certified oncology pharmacist in the division of transplant surgery at UC and co-author of the study, says the toxicities associated with this drug were predictable and manageable and were much less than those associated with other anti-cancer agents.
"We are pleased to see its toxicities are similar in transplant recipients suffering from treatment-resistant mixed organ rejection," he adds. "We hope it will be a viable therapeutic treatment option in this patient group."
Woodle says although this data is promising, it is difficult to overestimate the implications of this drug.
"We have an immunosuppressive agent that for the first time can target antibody-producing plasma cells with an efficacy similar to drugs that target T cells," he says. "This has significant implications for transplantation and auto immune disease."
UC researchers are currently conducting four industry-supported clinical trials to expand these findings.
University of Cincinnati
Transplant Current Events and Transplant News RSSHigh Blood Pressure Easy to Miss in Children with Kidney Disease
Spot blood pressure readings in children with chronic kidney disease often fail to detect hypertension - even during doctor's office visits - increasing a child's risk for serious heart problems, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and other institutions. A report of the findings appears online in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology.
Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants
A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.
U of M researchers find 2 units of umbilical cord blood reduce risk of leukemia recurrence
A new study from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota shows that patients who have acute leukemia and are transplanted with two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB) have significantly reduced risk of the disease returning.
Young athletes need dual screening tests for heart defects, study suggests
To best detect early signs of life-threatening heart defects in young athletes, screening programs should include both popular diagnostic tests, not just one of them, according to new research from heart experts at Johns Hopkins.
Texas Children's discharges first pediatric patient with implanted mechanical heart device
Texas Children's Hospital is the nation's first pediatric hospital to discharge a child while on an intracorporeal ventricular assist device (VAD), a feat previously accomplished only at adult institutions.
Scientists successfully reprogram blood cells
Researchers have transplanted genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells into mice so that their developing red blood cells produce a critical lysosomal enzyme -preventing or reducing organ and central nervous system damage from the often-fatal genetic disorder Hurler's syndrome.
UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries
The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage.
First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia
For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options.
Gastroenterology/hepatology societies release report evaluating fellowship training curriculum
Due to the increasing complexities of treating digestive diseases, allowing gastroenterological (GI) trainee physicians the opportunity to develop enhanced abilities and experiences in specific disease areas or procedures will be a great benefit to patients, according to a "Report of the Multisociety Task Force on GI Training."
More Transplant Current Events and Transplant News Articles
 |
Transplants by Transplants From January 2000 to June 2002, Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong laboriously pored over loops and samples, collecting synth squeals and snatches of howling guitar and, naturally, writing songs. Aided by raging rapper Rob Aston, he's put it all together to form this often intriguing and strangely beguiling side project. The opening's not promising. With the death-riff of "Romper Stomper" followed by the urban R&B and chanted party-rock chorus of "Tall Cans in the Air," Armstrong flails badly. But then his Clash obsession kicks in once more. This London-Kingston-California hybrid is thoroughly weird but oddly touching. It rings out in "Weigh on My Mind" and "Diamonds and Guns," with its Sex Pistols-inspired marching intro, rollicking piano, and Stones-like woo-woos, while the closing "Down in... |
 |
Transplant by John A. Elefteriades (Author) This book is a techno thriller. A top heart surgeon is kidnapped, seduced, threatened with an unspeakable loss -- all to make him perform a forbidden procedure. This book features cutting-edge technology. |
 |
Haunted Cities by Transplants "A few years ago, when Tim, Travis and myself were finishing up the first Transplants album, we weren't sure what was going to happen. You wouldn't believe how many people told us that they "don't get it" or that they're "not sure what people will think". To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. But here we are, a few years later, with a new Transplants album-Haunted Cities. I've always had a hard time describing our records, being as though all 3 of us have different backgrounds all 3 of us live different lives, but what I can tell you is that Haunted Cities is unlike anything else. With guest appearances by the Boo-Yaa Tribe, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, people ain't gonna know what hit 'em. And to tell you the truth, we still don't care."-Rob... |
 |
Core Curriculum for Transplant Nurses (Critical Care Nursing ( Clochesy)) by ITNS (Author) Endorsed by the International Transplant Nurses Association, this book provides a guide to safe and effective care for solid organ transplant recipients. It includes coverage of the unique requirements of each organ transplanted, with separate chapters for heart, lung, kidney, liver, small intestine, and pancreas/islet cell transplantation. Other chapters cover important topics that affect all organs, such as immunology, infections, pharmaceutical agents, and patient education and discharge planning. Ideal as a review and study guide for the solid organ transplantation certification exam.Provides self-assessment questions at the end of each chapter.Discusses organ-specific evaluations for patients referred for transplantation.Identifies key physical findings of infection,... |
 |
Transplant: From Myth to Reality by Dr. Nicholas L. Tilney M.D. (Author) One of the most spectacular medical advances of the twentieth century, organ transplantation has become a generally effective and routine treatment for patients with organ failure. In this riveting book, a well-known expert in the fields of clinical transplantation and transplantation research traces the evolution of organ transplantation from its initial stirrings in the imaginations of the ancients to its current status as accepted treatment for nearly 40,000 patients each year. Drawing often on his own firsthand experience, Dr. Nicholas L. Tilney tells the story of the advances in organ transplantation, discusses how societal forces have driven its development, and reveals how its current success is marred by commercialism and exploitation of the less fortunate. Dr. Tilney describes... |
 |
Haunted Cities by Transplants "A few years ago, when Tim, Travis and myself were finishing up the first Transplants album, we weren't sure what was going to happen. You wouldn't believe how many people told us that they "don't get it" or that they're "not sure what people will think". To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. But here we are, a few years later, with a new Transplants album-Haunted Cities. I've always had a hard time describing our records, being as though all 3 of us have different backgrounds all 3 of us live different lives, but what I can tell you is that Haunted Cities is unlike anything else. With guest appearances by the Boo-Yaa Tribe, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, people ain't gonna know what hit 'em. And to tell you the truth, we still don't care."-Rob... |
 |
Diamonds And Guns (Album Version) Transplants (Primary Contributor) |
 |
The Puzzle People: Memoirs Of A Transplant Surgeon by Thomas Starzl (Author) Given the tensions and demands of medicine, highly successful physicians and surgeons rarely achieve equal success as prose writers. It is truly extraordinary that a major, international pioneer in the controversial field of transplant surgery should have written a spellbinding, and heart-wrenching, autobiography. Thomas Starzl grew up in LeMars, Iowa, the son of a newspaper publisher and a nurse. His father also wrote science fiction and was acquainted with the writer Ray Bradbury. Starzl left the family business to enter Northwestern University Medical School where he earned both and M.D. and a PhD. While he was a student, and later during his surgical internship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he began the series of animal experiments that led eventually to the... |
 |
Mind Transplant by Alphonse Mouzon |
 |
Clinical Management of the Transplant Patient by Paul C. Kuo (Editor), Rebecca A. Schroeder (Editor), Lynt B. Johnson (Editor) This book provides a comprehensive overview of solid organ transplantation for residents, fellows and other personnel working in Transplant Units. It addresses the clinical management of the transplant patient from pre-transplant evaluation through surgery to outpatient follow-up. Emphasis is given to the information required for day to day management. This information is presented in a concise and practical format for easy access. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |