Could kidney transplant patients be spared a lifetime of immunosuppressants?

By Annalisa Merelli

Kidney transplants are the most common organ transplant procedure in the U.S., with 25,000 taking place in 2022. But for patients who receive new kidneys, the transplant is often followed by severe lifelong challenges, many of which are linked to the immunosuppression drug regimen required after surgery to ensure the body does not reject the new organ. These treatments have side effects and toxicities that impact patients’ long-term health, and even survival, leading to a transplant failure rate of 30-50% at the 10-year mark. Read the full article in STAT.