Kidney Transplant News and Research

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A kidney transplant is an operation where a healthy kidney from one person (the donor) is transferred to a person who has little or no kidney function (the recipient).

Study raises questions about AI's role in decision support for ethically sensitive situations

Artificial intelligence (AI) models prioritize starkly different attributes than humans when making high-stakes decisions, and they don't express indecision like humans do, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers, raising questions about the role of AI in decision support for ethically sensitive situations like medical decisions.

15 Sep 2026

Pig kidney xenotransplantation offers a bridge for patients awaiting human donor kidneys

In January 2026, Tim Andrews, who had received a genetically edited pig kidney in January 2025, became the recipient of a human kidney.

3 Sep 2026

Ochsner Transplant Institute completes historic 10,000th organ transplant

The Ochsner Transplant Institute has performed its 10,000th organ transplant, becoming the first and only transplant center in Louisiana to reach this milestone.

12 Aug 2026

Medical breakthrough allows kidney transplant for patient with zero options

An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna reports on a new treatment strategy that has made a kidney transplant possible for a patient with no realistic chance of receiving a suitable donor organ.

30 Jul 2026

Remdesivir protects kidney and heart health in transplant recipients

Adults with kidney transplants who were treated for COVID-19 with the antiviral remdesivir within a week of COVID-19 diagnosis and who received at least three consecutive days of therapy were less likely than kidney transplant recipients who did not receive the antiviral to experience cardiovascular or kidney problems up to a year later, according to findings from a target trial emulation study that published in JAMA Network Open.

28 Jul 2026

Rising antimicrobial resistance in children threatens life-saving antibiotic effectiveness

Antimicrobial resistance in children is rising globally and will worsen over the next decade, threatening the effectiveness of life‑saving antibiotics, according to a world-first monitoring platform.

20 Jul 2026

First human bladder transplant patient thrives one year after surgery

One year after the first human bladder transplant, the patient is thriving and the UCLA Health surgeon who performed the operation already has completed a second successful bladder transplant, laying a solid path for a field of surgery that until now has not been feasible.

24 Jun 2026

Many kidney transplant candidates fail to reach the national waitlist

Nearly half of Americans with kidney failure who are referred for transplantation never begin the process required to be considered for a new organ, a new study shows, while less than a fifth actually complete the assessment and get on the waitlist.

21 Jun 2026

Lab-grown cell models reveal urate triggers vital renal water channels

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a previously unrecognized way the kidneys regulate water balance - an advance that could lead to improved treatments for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other disorders. The study, led by Fouad Chebib, M.D., a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

16 Jun 2026

Trial shows safety of TTV-guided immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients

An international research team coordinated by the Medical University of Vienna has demonstrated in a clinical trial that Torque-Teno-virus-guided dosing of immunosuppressants in kidney transplant recipients is safe.

8 Jun 2026

Organ transplant survival rates improve despite persistent donor shortages

More adults are surviving both the wait for an organ and transplant surgery, but the number of people who need transplants continues to exceed the number of organs available, especially for kidneys, according to a national analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

4 Jun 2026

Repurposed cancer therapy enables successful kidney transplantation

A pioneering clinical trial has successfully enabled three patients with end-stage kidney disease to receive previously improbable kidney transplants.

4 Jun 2026

Novel CAR T treatment makes previously impossible kidney transplants possible

A pioneering clinical trial has successfully enabled two patients with end-stage kidney disease to receive previously improbable kidney transplants.

3 Jun 2026

Rare dual transplant gives Michigan patient a second chance

After nearly two decades of life-threatening illness, repeated complications, and organ failure, 33-year-old Briana Dery of Twining, Mich., is looking ahead to a healthy future, after successfully undergoing one of the rarest and most complex procedures in modern medicine.

26 May 2026

Bariatric surgery improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events and death, according to new research presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Man steps forward to donate kidney to unknown teen

Tim Fitzpatrick was at home on Long Island when he saw a local news story about a 13-year-old boy in need of a kidney transplant.

11 Apr 2026

Early treatment helps patient recover from rare kidney disorder

When Bradley Lawrence gained 25 pounds in two weeks and started experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, he quickly sought care at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.

31 Mar 2026

GLP-1 drugs cut heart and kidney risks in type 1 diabetes study

In a large target trial emulation of 174,678 people with type 1 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation was associated with lower risks of major cardiovascular events and end-stage kidney disease over five years. The study also found no increased risk of hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemia, supporting further randomized trials of GLP-1RAs as adjunctive therapy in type 1 diabetes.

22 Mar 2026

New immunotherapy could replace daily pills after kidney transplantation

A new study offers hope that kidney transplant patients could one day have a monthly treatment instead of multiple pills every day.

3 Feb 2026

Study reveals innate immune barriers to long-term pig kidney transplant survival

Pioneering research led by Brazilians describes the immune system's reactions in detail in the first living patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant.

8 Jan 2026