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Neonatal kidney transplants may be missed opportunity in organ shortage

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By Shawn M. Carter

More than 12,000 of 21,000 infants who died in 2020 could have been considered as viable organ donors, according to data from researchers at Allegheny General Hospital.

“We believe that neonatal kidney transplantation offers a ‘game-changing’ solution to the organ shortage crisis,” Dai Nghiem, MD, of the Westminster, California-based hospital, said in a press release. “This study looked at the U.S. alone, but if you replicate the findings across the globe then we have a huge untapped pool of available organs for transplants.” Read the full article in Healio.

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Biden signs Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement Transplantation Network Act into law

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By Shawn M. Carter

President Joe Biden signed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement Transplantation Network Act into law, according to a statement from the National Kidney Foundation.

“Make no mistake, reforms to the governance of the [Organ Procurement Transplantation Network (OPTN)] will save lives, strengthen accountability and increase transparency,” Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, said in a statement.
Read the full article in Healio.

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Frederick man recovering after receiving pig heart transplant at University of Maryland School of Medicine

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By Jessica Albert


LOCAL NEWS 

Frederick man recovering after receiving pig heart transplant at University of Maryland School of Medicine

BY JESSICA ALBERT

BALTIMORE – Doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine performed its second groundbreaking transplant of a genetically modified pig heart.

The transplant was given to a man from Frederick who had been rejected from all other transplant centers because of pre-existing conditions.

We are told the patient is breathing on his own and his new heart is working without any assistance. Read the full story from WJZ CBS News Baltimore.

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Aggressive intervention may mediate stroke risk factor disparities for Black patients

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By Regina Schaffer

Large differences in some modifiable risk factors for stroke between Black and non-Black patients were resolved after a 1-year intensive intervention that included medical management, follow-up and lifestyle coaching, researchers reported.

“Modifiable stroke risk factor differences between Black and non-Black adults were found at enrollment; however, our study found these disparities may be resolved by tailoring care to include lifestyle coaching, medication alterations or additions if appropriate, access to routine health support and regular physician follow-up,” Ashley Nelson, DO, a neurology resident at the Medical University of South Carolina, said in a press release. “Intense risk factor management has an important role in improving or eliminating these risk factor disparities in Black adults.” Read the full article in Healio.

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Study finds melanoma treatment costs have increased, but so has survival

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By Gabrielle Capaldo

While the adoption of immunotherapies and targeted systemic therapies for the treatment of melanoma has increased overall survival in patients, it has also significantly increased health care costs, according to a study.

“Health care costs for cancer treatment are escalating, with approximately $173 billion in the U.S. and more than $7 billion in Canada during 2020 alone,” Sarah B. Bateni, MD, MAS, of the Odette Cancer Center, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, and colleagues wrote. Read the full article in Healio.

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GUEST COLUMN: Gift of transplant brings people together

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By Dick Franklin

What a life this is. We have days filled with unimaginable bliss, enjoying each moment with enthusiasm or peaceful rest, and then in a moment we may see it all dissolve. This is what it was for me when told that I had end stage renal disease and would face a lifetime of dialysis without a kidney transplant.

I suppose it was not surprising. Read the full article in The Gazette.

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In Primate Study, Antibody Treatment Prevents Organ Rejection After Transplant

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By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A new study in non-human primates shows potential for using a manmade monoclonal antibody to help prevent organ rejection after a transplant.

The antibody was successful in promoting graft survival after kidney and pancreatic islet cell transplantations, according to the research.

This clears a path for this new monoclonal antibody to move forward in human clinical trials, the researchers said. Read more in U.S. News & World Report.

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Couples exchange kidneys: Miami Transplant Institute performs 2-way paired exchange

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By Niko Clemons

Two lives were saved at once after a paired kidney exchange at the Miami Transplant Institute.

Doctors diagnosed Michael Deitado with chronic kidney disease when he was 28 years old. Fast forward 29 years, he was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. His wife, Astrid, was a perfect kidney donor match, but her kidneys were too small. Check out the full story from 6 (NBC) South Florida News.

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GUEST OPINION: Eliminate kidney transplant waitlist

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By William E. Lombard

The Pacific Northwest region has a history of innovation in kidney research and dialysis with a legacy of mission-driven care to individuals with chronic kidney failure. Access to dialysis is essential to high-quality treatment for people with end-stage renal disease. But the best treatment option for many patients is a kidney transplant from a living donor.

Dialysis patients are inherently vulnerable. Chronic kidney failure (CKF) was once a fatal disease, in every single case. Read the full article in the Lynden Tribune.

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Racial gaps persist in kidney transplantation, particularly among younger patients

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By Shawn M. Carter

Evident racial gaps in transplant waitlist placement between Black and white patients exist, particularly among younger individuals with kidney failure, new data suggests.

“Racial disparities exist at all steps of the kidney transplant process, including waitlisting,” Jade Buford, MPH, of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and lead researcher, told Healio. “The purpose of this study was to examine whether racial disparities in kidney transplant waitlisting vary by age of the patient with kidney failure.” Read the full story in Healio.

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