Posted on

Teen desperately needed a kidney, but her dad already had 3 transplants. Who could save her?

Loading

By Phaedra Threthan

This summer, the last thing on Kaitlin Seigel’s mind was whether she’d be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with her family.

The 15-year-old from Clark, New Jersey, felt nauseous all the time. She was listless and all the color was gone from her face. She couldn’t eat, and the lack of nourishment was making her weak. She didn’t want to hang out with her friends or take part in any school activities, fearful she might get sick. The isolation made her sad and anxious.
Read the full story in USA Today.

Loading
Posted on

Two-week direct-acting antiviral prophylaxis prevents hep C after kidney transplant

Loading

By Elana Gotkine

Two-week direct-acting antiviral (DAA) prophylaxis prevents hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in individuals without HCV viremia who received kidney transplant (KT) from donors with HCV viremia (HCV D+/R−), according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Niraj M. Desai, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the safety and efficacy of two-week DAA prophylaxis for HCV D+/R− KT in a small uncontrolled trial involving 10 patients. Read the article in Medical Xpress.

Loading
Posted on

Use of kidneys from COVID-positive donors has increased, not linked to worse outcomes

Loading

By Justin Cooper

Kidneys from donors with COVID-19 history are not associated with worse transplant outcomes and are used at higher rates now than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study presented at ASN Kidney Week.

“Every possible strategy to increase the organ pool is important, including using organs from patients infected with COVID-19,” Mengmeng Ji, PhD, MS, MBBS, lead author of the study, told Healio. Read the full article in Healio.

Loading
Posted on

Donors, Recipients, Practitioners All Face Barriers to Kidney Transplantation

Loading

By Kyle Munz

Presenters at ASN Kidney Week 2023 emphasized the importance of patient education, awareness, and advocacy in the realm of kidney transplantation.

A session at ASN Kidney Week 2023 offered first-perspectives from patients and professionals on the growing efforts to mitigate barriers and inequities impacting patients in need of kidney transplants. Presentations featured stories from a kidney transplant recipient and donor, as well as evidence-based knowledge highlighting the needs to increase donor numbers and patient engagement. Read the full article in AJMC.

Loading
Posted on

Study: Older kidney transplant patients metabolize immunosuppressive drugs slower than younger people

Loading

By Laurie Kaiser

At one time, individuals over age 65 typically did not qualify for a kidney transplant. Now, due to advances in medicine and longer life expectancies, these patients represent approximately 15% of all kidney transplants, according to UB researchers. Meanwhile, transplants that were performed in younger patients decades ago last longer, and these recipients are now aging.

Therefore, age-related issues can arise in some older transplant recipients that affect their long-term care and dosing of their essential immunosuppressive medicines.
Read more in UB Now.

Loading
Posted on

2-time kidney transplant recipient completes month-long kayaking journey with his donor – and his cello

Loading

UCLA Health patient’s trip also pays tribute to the healing power of music.

By UCLA Health

Santa Monica resident Jernej Čopič recently concluded a four-week kayak adventure in his native Slovenia with two very special companions: his childhood best friend and kidney donor Dejan Kralj, and his beloved cello.

The trip came just one year after Čopič’s second kidney transplant at UCLA Health, in which he received a kidney from Kralj, a Slovenian whitewater kayaker who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Read the full story from UCLA Health.

Loading
Posted on

Researchers chart new approach to improving kidney transplant access

Loading

by Prabhjot Sohal

According to nephrologist Dr. Amit Garg, for those with advanced chronic kidney disease, the treatment options are stark: continuous dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

“A kidney transplant not only gives a patient up to a decade of longer life and quality of life, but data also shows that every 100 kidney transplant procedures save the health care system a staggering $20 million over five years by sidelining dialysis costs. Read the full article in Medical Xpress.

Loading
Posted on

Distinguishing race from biology in kidney transplant outcomes

Loading

By Dr. Mariella Ortigosa-Goggins

For the past several years, there has been a lot of attention directed toward ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in industries across the United States, including in the accessing and delivery of equitable health care. As an example, while African Americans are at a much higher risk of being diagnosed with kidney disease, the community continues to face several disparities when attempting to access organ transplantation services. 
Read the complete article in The Miami Times.

Loading
Posted on

Mid-Stage Win for Novel IgA Nephropathy Drug

Loading

— APRIL-neutralizing antibody sibeprenlimab reduced proteinuria and stabilized eGFR

By Kristen Monaco

PHILADELPHIA — An investigational humanized IgG2 monoclonal antibody reduced proteinuria in adults with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy at high risk for disease progression despite standard treatments, a randomized phase II trial found.

In a dose-dependant manner, intravenous sibeprenlimab led to significantly greater decreases in 24-hour urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio at 12 months compared with placebo, with geometric mean ratio reductions ranging from 47.2% to 62% versus 20%, respectively (P<0.001), meeting the trial’s primary endpoint, reported Mohit Mathur, MD, of drugmaker Visterra in Waltham, Massachusetts. Read the full article in MedPage Today.

Loading