CMV Vaccine to Protect Liver Transplant Candidates
Official title: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Vaccine in Orthotopic Liver Transplant candidates (COLT)
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11348212 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A CMV vaccine given before liver transplant could help high-risk patients prevent CMV infection after their transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 26, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,878,311 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI163090-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11348212 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation, especially CMV seronegative recipients receiving organs from CMV-seropositive donors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing liver transplantation or those already CMV-positive with established infection may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a CMV vaccine called Triplex in people awaiting liver transplantation to boost CMV-specific immune protection before immunosuppression. It aims to reduce CMV disease after transplant and lessen the need for antiviral drugs. The study builds on prior safety and immune response data, with a focus on donor-positive/recipient-negative patients who are at highest risk. By identifying immune markers that predict protection, researchers hope to tailor prevention strategies for transplant candidates.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the vaccine could lower CMV disease risk after liver transplant and reduce toxicity from antiviral therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies showed safety and immune responses for Triplex in other contexts, with promising signals but this is a high-stakes transplant setting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Limaye, Abhijit Prakash — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Limaye, Abhijit Prakash
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
-
Biomarker-guided reduction of immunosuppression after liver transplant
A multicenter trial tests whether using blood biomarkers to guide tapering of immunosuppression in adults with liver transplants can keep people healthy while lowering drug exposure.
-
Understanding how liver disease progresses in people waiting for a liver transplant
A study will build a knowledge base that maps how liver disease worsens over time in patients on the transplant waitlist to improve care and planning.
-
Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
-
Pre-Transplant Immune Health Marker Panel to Predict Liver Transplant Outcomes
A patient-facing biomarker test used before liver transplant to help doctors estimate the risk of early death after the transplant.
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Thinking skills and self-care after a liver transplant
This project follows people who received liver transplants to learn how changes in thinking and memory affect managing medicines, clinic visits, and overall health.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.