Transplant News and Research

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Single dose of stem cells produce robust behavioral recovery in animal models for stroke, cerebral palsy

A single dose of adult donor stem cells given to animals that have neurological damage similar to that experienced by adults with a stroke or newborns with cerebral palsy can significantly enhance recovery from these types of injuries, researchers say.

11 Apr 2006

Researchers identify critical human cell surface molecule involved in infection by Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) have identified a critical human cell surface molecule involved in infection by Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), the virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma and certain forms of lymphoma.

11 Apr 2006

First artificial heart implant on the East Coast

A cardiac surgery team at Virginia Commonwealth University's Pauley Heart Center has performed the first artificial heart implant on the East Coast. The CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart, or TAH-t, is the only total artificial heart approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

6 Apr 2006

Trends over a decade of pediatric liver transplantation in the U.S.

A new study on children undergoing liver transplants found that although innovative transplant techniques have been developed in recent years, the waitlist times for pediatric transplant candidates have increased compared to the early 1990s.

6 Apr 2006

ICG value accurately predicts outcomes in adult living-donor liver transplantation

A new study on identifying which patients were likely to have poor outcomes following a living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) found that measuring how a certain non-toxic dye was eliminated by the liver shortly after surgery was an accurate indicator of liver function, and therefore a reliable indicator of the outcome of the procedure.

4 Apr 2006

Novel therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease

A study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers offers the strongest evidence yet of the effectiveness of a novel therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potentially life-threatening complication of donor bone marrow and stem cell transplants.

28 Mar 2006

Procedure cures some diabetic mice, but not in the way previously reported

Researchers attempting to reproduce a controversial 2003 mouse experiment suggestive of a cure for type 1 diabetes have found evidence that the experimental procedure does eliminate diabetic symptoms in a small fraction of the mice exposed to it.

28 Mar 2006

Study provides a boost for efforts to reverse type-1 diabetes

Researchers have been able to confirm most but not all of the results of a high-profile study that brought new hope to diabetes patients. This study provides a boost for efforts to reverse type-1 diabetes in recently diagnosed patients but not for efforts to grow new islets from spleens.

27 Mar 2006

Novel therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) using Rituximab

Dana-Farber researchers found that rituximab reduced the severity of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in 70 percent of the study participants.

27 Mar 2006

Cell therapy slows progression of metachromatic leukodystrophy

In an important discovery, scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants.

23 Mar 2006

Stem cells, gene therapy and allograft applications show promise for treating orthopaedic conditions

Recent advances in gene therapy, stem cells and other promising applications are offering new hope for patients and helping orthopaedic surgeons provide state-of-the-art treatment for various frame-related conditions.

23 Mar 2006

University of Calgary researchers develop bioreactor procedures to grow pancreatic cells in their laboratory

Freedom from insulin injections and the myriad of health problems related to type 1 diabetes is closer to becoming reality, thanks to University of Calgary researchers who are developing the first bioreactor procedures to grow pancreatic cells in their laboratory.

21 Mar 2006

Rapamycin (sirolimus) may be effective in treating kidney disease

A widely available drug may be effective in treating kidney disease, report scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They describe the discovery in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

21 Mar 2006

Human papillomavirus may be a risk factor in developing squamous cell carcinoma

The study, published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, used new technology to detect antibodies from a strain of HPV on skin cancer samples.

20 Mar 2006

New model is able to accurately predict survival for patients with heart failure

A new model developed at the University of Washington provides an accurate estimate of one-, two-, and three-year survival rates and average years of survival for patients with heart failure.

15 Mar 2006

Researchers find viable new sources for stem cell transplants to the heart

Stem cell transplantation is among one of the most exciting and hotly debated areas of medical research today. While the promise of personalized medicine and effective treatments for debilitating diseases drive progress in this area, moral and ethical dilemmas about embryonic cells continues to cloud the field.

14 Mar 2006

Decitabine improves patient outcomes in myelodysplastic syndromes

Decitabine, a new drug undergoing Phase III efficacy trials, provides palliative therapy for patients with the bone marrow disease called Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), according to a new study.

14 Mar 2006

Exposure to toxins from hazardous waste sites may be a significant risk factor for developing primary biliary cirrhosis

Published in the March 2006 issue of Hepatology, researchers found significant clusters of the disease near Superfund toxic waste sites (SFS) and that the majority of patients in New York City who need liver transplants because of PBC, reside near SFS.

13 Mar 2006

Transplanting a pair of kidneys with limited function into one patient may offer one solution to short supply of donated kidneys

Transplanting a pair of kidneys with limited function into one patient can be just as successful as the standard procedure in which a patient receives a single kidney, according to new research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.