Apoptotic donor white cells to help kidney transplant tolerance

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This project builds on prior work in monkeys showing that two small infusions of donor leukocytes, combined with brief immunosuppression, can create lasting transplant tolerance. In kidney transplant models, researchers will use high‑dimensional immune profiling to understand how the regimen works and to refine the protocol for safety and effectiveness. The study aims to translate these findings into a clinically usable approach that could reduce long-term immunosuppression needs for living donor kidney recipients. The work is conducted at the University of Minnesota with a focus on mechanisms, efficacy, and steps toward human application.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• University of Minnesota
  Minneapolis, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Hering, Bernhard Josef — University of Minnesota
• Study coordinator: Hering, Bernhard Josef

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Microbial clues to diagnose and predict infections in kidney transplant patients

  A patient-focused project will look for microbial biomarkers in stool, blood, and urine to help doctors predict and diagnose infections in people who have had a kidney transplant.

  NIH research University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11471530

• Immunological mechanisms behind treatment-resistant kidney transplant rejection

  This grant explores why certain kidney transplant rejections don’t respond to standard treatments and what immune cells in the graft are driving that resistance.

  NIH research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, United States · NIH-11449432

• Complement-Bound Exosomes and Kidney Transplant Immunity

  This project studies how kidney transplant injury and rejection happen after surgery and whether blocking certain immune pathways during organ preservation could improve transplant outcomes.

  NIH research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · New York, United States · NIH-11442411

• Blood vessel signals predicting heart problems after kidney transplant

  This project studies blood markers and tissue patterns after kidney transplants to identify which patients are at highest risk of cardiovascular problems.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11441506

• Understanding how BK virus links infection to kidney transplant rejection

  This project looks at how BK polyomavirus reactivation affects kidney transplant patients and aims to use pre-transplant T cell information to tailor immunosuppression and monitoring.

  NIH research University of California, San Diego · La Jolla, United States · NIH-11436797

• Characterization of a LILRB3 SNP cluster and its link to kidney transplant outcomes

  A study in kidney transplant recipients looks at genetic factors that may be tied to higher risk of graft failure.

  NIH research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · New York, United States · NIH-11434426

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.