Donor thymus to help the body accept a transplanted heart
Tolerance to Allogeneic Hearts via Implantation of Cultured Donor Thymus
This work will see whether implanting donor thymus tissue along with a donor heart can help the immune system accept the new heart so patients may avoid lifelong immune-suppressing drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252349 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will implant cultured thymus tissue from the heart donor alongside the donor heart in a large animal model (young miniature pigs) to teach the recipient immune system to tolerate donor tissues. The team will follow the animals for safety and for signs that the heart survives without standard long-term immunosuppression. This builds on prior successes using cultured donor thymus in certain children and in rat heart-transplant models. If successful in this large-animal testing, the approach would be prepared for human clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who need a heart transplant and might receive donor thymus tissue alongside their transplant would be the ultimate candidates for this approach.
Not a fit: Patients not undergoing heart transplantation or those who cannot receive donor thymus tissue are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong immunosuppressive drugs after heart transplant, lowering infection and rejection risks.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work showed cultured donor thymus can create donor-specific tolerance in immunodeficient children and in rat heart-transplant models, but testing in large animals is new.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Turek, Joseph — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Turek, Joseph
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 below.