Expanding lung transplant access for high-risk patients
Official title: CATCH: Creating Access to Transplant for Candidates who are High Risk
Funded at University Health Network · NIH-11146564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program works to make lung transplants more safely available and improve care for high-risk candidates such as highly sensitized people, patients on ECMO waiting for transplant, and those with ARDS including COVID-related ARDS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University Health Network NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toronto, Canada) |
| Project start | August 5, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $398,700 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HL163298-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adult lung transplant candidates who are highly sensitized, currently supported by ECMO as a bridge to transplant, or have ARDS including COVID-19-associated ARDS.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not being considered for lung transplantation or who do not fall into the targeted high-risk categories likely will not receive direct benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are being considered for a lung transplant and thought to be high-risk, this consortium brings transplant centers together to share experiences and patient data. The project will collect clinical information on highly sensitized patients, people supported by ECMO as a bridge to transplant, and patients with ARDS (including COVID-19-associated ARDS) to learn which practices lead to better outcomes. Clinicians will use those combined data to develop clearer, more consistent guidelines and care pathways for these groups. The goal is to reduce variation between centers and help more high-risk patients access transplants safely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could increase safe access to lung transplantation and improve survival and recovery for high-risk transplant candidates.
How similar studies have gone: While lung transplantation is an established treatment, multi-center evidence and formal guidelines specifically for these high-risk groups are limited, so this consortium addresses relatively unstudied areas.
Where this research is happening
-
University Health Network
Toronto, Canada Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Keshavjee, Shaf — University Health Network
- Study coordinator: Keshavjee, Shaf
Related research
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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.