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Sasha King: Changing the Face of Organ Transplant

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Difference makers can bring about meaningful changes that affect people’s lives on different levels. Drawing on her MIT background and passion to make a difference in the lives of others, sasha king has led to a remarkable patient-centered approach to scientific innovation and commercial growth since joining careDx as the Head of Marketing†

Sasha’s passion for impacting patients’ lives has helped CareDx deliver a new standard of care for patients who have traded end-stage organ failure for a second chance at life with an organ transplant. She has also helped simplify patients’ daily lives by conducting home blood tests for immunocompromised transplant recipients during a global pandemic.
Read more.

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Moving xenotransplantation research into human trials will require adjusting our expectations, researchers say

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On the heels of some important “firsts” this past year, xenotransplantation — grafting animal organs into humans — is on the cusp of crossing over into new territory: human trials.

In January, University of Maryland surgeons transplanted a pig heart into a 57-year-old man, who survived two months. And last fall, New York University doctors implanted pig kidneys into recently deceased individuals to show there wouldn’t be immediate rejection of the organs. As exciting as these procedures were for researchers who have been trying to make xenotransplantation a reality, they highlighted the slow pace of clinical development, which has been stalled in primate studies for decades. Read more.

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7 Self-Care Tips for Chronic Kidney Disease

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive health condition that damages your kidneys. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that help remove waste and excess fluid from the body.

High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of CKD. Treating these conditions can help slow the progression of kidney damage. If your kidney function gets too low, you may need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Read more.

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Tough Transplants

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Covid-19 has caused a dramatic shift in organ transplants, with rising demand and more complex surgeries — all to prolong lives

Al Brown lay in a hospital bed at the Center for Care & Discovery at the University of Chicago Medicine, in disbelief. He had contracted Covid-19 in May 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. He knew the infection was serious, but he had no idea it would ravage his heart.

Initially, the Riverdale resident thought he had the flu and found it hard to breathe. He took himself to UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey. Doctors there told him he had Covid-19. He was in the hospital for a week, hooked up to oxygen to help his breathing. Then he went back home, figuring he would recover.  Read the full story.

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Covid-19: Boosters, Antibodies, and Continued Risk for the Immunocompromised

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World-leading specialist shares latest information on Covid-19 in transplant patients

On February 24th, CareDx hosted a webinar with NYU’s Dr. Dorry Segev, one of the world’s leading experts on the impact of Covid-19 on immunocompromised patients. When the pandemic hit, Dr. Segev shifted his research to better understanding vaccines in the immunocompromised, for which he has received a Letter of Commendation from Dr. Anthony Fauci. His research has been published in JAMA, and featured on CBS, NBC, NPR, and the New York Times, among other publications. In recognition of his contributions to health care, Dr. Segev was recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

We adapted our webinar conversation with Dr. Segev for this article, editing only for clarity and length. Read the full article here.

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Nephrologists see regulatory, legislative wins, more work ahead

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DALLAS — After uncertainty a year ago from a leadership void at HHS, nephrology practices and kidney research are seeing benefits from recent legislative and regulatory victories, according to a speaker at the Renal Physicians Association Annual Meeting.

“A year ago, we were in the early days of the Biden Administration,” Robert Blaser, director of public policy for the RPA, said, here. “There was a lot of uncertainly this time last year.”
Read more.

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Transplant waiting list

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If you need a kidney transplant, you will need to get on the national transplant waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. Learn how the waiting list works, how long people usually wait and how to choose a transplant center so you can get listed. You can take steps to stay as healthy as possible while you wait for a kidney. Learn more.

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Living Donor Transplant Promising for CRC With Liver-Only Metastases

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— In small study, researchers see “encouraging” survival outcomes

Select patients with unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLMs) had good survival outcomes following total hepatectomy and living-donor liver transplant (LDLT), a prospective study of 10 patients found.

In the series involving liver-confined metastatic disease in patients with a sustained response to oncologic therapy, Kaplan-Meier estimates of recurrence-free and overall survival at 1.5 years were an “encouraging” 62% and 100%, respectively, reported Gonzalo Sapisochin, MD, PhD, of the University of Toronto, and colleagues. Read more.

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She gave her kidney to a high school acquaintance — and it changed his life

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John “JT” Thomas was a healthy 20-year-old in 2011. But at that year’s family Thanksgiving gathering, he found that he couldn’t even finish his first plate of food. His appetite was gone — and he was increasingly lightheaded.

His physicians had a chilling response to his symptoms, one that he recalls even today: “You shouldn’t be able to walk right now.” Read the full story here.

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Cleveland Clinic experts join call to end disparities in organ donation; African-Americans face barriers to transplant list

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — African-Americans and rural Americans often face barriers that keep them off organ transplant waiting lists, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

The Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. James Young and Jesse Schold were among the experts involved in drafting the recently announced recommendations. Read more.

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