Researchers find way to predict kidney transplant rejection

Researchers from the MRC Centre for Transplantation and the NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre have found a novel way to predict rejection of a kidney transplant before it happens by monitoring the immune system of transplant patients.

The research, featured in journal EbioMedicine showed that a signature combination of seven immune genes in blood samples can predict rejection earlier than current techniques. Monitoring these markers in transplant patients with regular blood tests could help doctors intervene before any organ damage occurs and improve outcomes for patients.

CHSS Clinical Professor Chris Farmer is Consultant in renal medicine at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) was a co-author of the report. He said: ‘this was a large multi-centre study trying to find ways of improving transplant outcome through better surveillance. These results are very exciting and may pave the way for reducing the need for kidney biopsies in kidney transplant recipients and improving tailored use of anti-rejection treatments’.

A renal transplant offers the best treatment for patients whose kidneys have failed, with around 3,000 carried out annually in the UK. Acute rejection occurs when the body’s immune system begins to attack the donated organ. This is a common complication in the first year after the transplant, affecting around two in 10 patients.Currently, acute rejection can only be confirmed by taking a biopsy of the transplanted organ. While acute rejection can be treated, this can only be done when the organ is already affected and damage has already occurred.

Once the new technique is validated further, it has the potential to offer clinicians the use of a simple blood test to predict rejection. Being able to intervene before the event will help prevent damage to patients and extend the life of the transplanted organ.

Read more on the Medical Research Council website

https://mrc.ukri.org/news/browse/blood-test-could-give-two-month-warning-of-kidney-transplant-rejection/