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).

Final data from Alexion's Soliris Phase 2 studies on aHUS presented at EHA 2011

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of final data from the two Phase 2 studies of Soliris as a treatment for patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

13 Jun 2011

Isotechnika reports consolidated net loss of $2.9 million for first quarter 2011

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. today announced financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2011.

9 Jun 2011

Nighttime heart and lung transplants do not affect patient survival

Despite concerns that surgeon fatigue is leading to dangerous complications for patients and data showing worse outcomes for many patients who undergo surgery at night, new Johns Hopkins research suggests that — in the case of heart and lung transplants — time of day has no affect on patient survival.

1 Jun 2011

New technique offers successful bone marrow, organ transplant for patients with autoimmune diseases

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have discovered a method to quickly and exponentially grow regulatory T-cells - also known as "suppressor cells." The new process enables replication of the cells by tens of millions in several weeks, a dramatic increase over previous duplication methods. Historically, regulatory T-cells have been difficult to replicate.

19 May 2011

Stem cells from kidneys - World first from Australian scientists

According to Australian scientists, their latest stem cell research breakthrough will bring new treatments for a growing epidemic of chronic kidney disease. They are the first in the world to generate a type of stem cell from human kidney cells. The Melbourne scientists are hoping their discovery will have far-reaching effects in treating the disease.

19 May 2011

Alemtuzumab as effective as other more expensive immune suppressants for kidney transplants

In the first head-to-head comparison of the three most common drugs used at the time of a kidney transplant to prevent organ rejection, researchers found that the least expensive drug - at one-half to one-fifth the price - is as safe and effective as the other two, according to a paper published by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers in the May 19, 2011, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

19 May 2011

Donors' genetic profile affects graft survival after kidney transplantation

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center sheds light on what causes certain kidneys to do better than others after being transplanted, providing doctors with an easy way to screen for donor kidneys that have the best chance of survival.

10 May 2011

FDA approves Afinitor for treatment of progressive neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Afinitor (everolimus) to treat patients with progressive neuroendocrine tumors located in the pancreas (PNET) that cannot be removed by surgery or that have spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

7 May 2011

Clinicians must address limited health literacy of patients with kidney disease

Many patients on dialysis may not understand medical information critical to their wellbeing, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

6 May 2011

CJASN: Only few US medical students adopt nephrology as a career

Kidney disease affects 1 in 9 US adults, and by 2020 more than 750,000 Americans will be on dialysis or awaiting kidney transplant. Despite this growing health problem, every year fewer US medical students adopt nephrology as a career, according to a review appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

6 May 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb first quarter net sales increase 5% to $3.3 billion

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced first quarter results that included strong sales and earnings growth, and several key R&D milestones—most notably U.S. regulatory approval for YERVOY. The company also confirmed guidance for the year.

30 Apr 2011

Flu vaccination lowers kidney transplant recipients' risk of organ loss and death

Getting vaccinated against the flu lowers kidney transplant recipients' risk of organ loss and death, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

29 Apr 2011

UCLA's Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program improves patients' survival rate

Patients who received kidney transplants through the UCLA Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program had the highest three-year transplant survival rate among patients who underwent the procedure at U.S. centers that perform 80 or more transplants a year, according to new government data.

28 Apr 2011

Five Loyola employees donate kidneys to complete strangers

Loyola University Medical Center is believed to be the first organization in the country, and perhaps the world, in which five employees have each donated kidneys to complete strangers with no strings attached.

28 Apr 2011

New discoveries on polycystin-1 can lead to novel kidney disease treatment

Two discoveries at UC Santa Barbara point to potential new drug therapies for patients with kidney disease. The findings are published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

27 Apr 2011

BMY to present belatacept Phase III new data at American Transplant Congress

New data on belatacept, an investigational selective T cell costimulation blocker being studied for use in renal transplantation by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, will be presented at the American Transplant Congress April 30 - May 4, 2011 in Philadelphia.

26 Apr 2011

Alexion first quarter non-GAAP net income increases to $56.3 million

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2011. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported net product sales of Soliris® (eculizumab) of $166.1 million, reflecting steady additions of new patients, compared to $117.6 million for the same period in 2010.

21 Apr 2011

Donor-specific antibodies may accelerate arteriosclerosis after kidney transplantation

Kidney transplant recipients who develop antibodies in response to receiving new organs can develop accelerated arteriosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that arteriosclerosis resulting from such donor-specific antibodies may play an important role in organ rejection following transplantation.

15 Apr 2011

Kidney transplantion more effective than previously thought

A new study from Mayo Clinic, the largest long-term study of kidney transplant recipients published to date, demonstrates that progressive damage to kidney transplants may be less common and less severe than previously reported.

8 Apr 2011

Scientists identify biological pathways that mediate IgA nephropathy

For the first time, researchers have found five regions in the human genome that increase susceptibility to immunoglobulin A nephropathy, a major cause of kidney failure worldwide - systematically identifying those that point to a tendency for IgA nephropathy, or a protection against it.

6 Apr 2011