Helping organ transplants last longer by blocking monocyte recognition
Targeting monocyte allorecognition to achieve allograft acceptance
This research tests whether blocking a monocyte signal called CD47 together with T‑cell costimulation blockade helps people keep their transplanted organs long-term without ongoing immunosuppressive drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300945 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I have a transplant, the team plans to combine a drug approach that blocks CD47 on monocytes with treatments that block T‑cell activation to try to promote long‑term acceptance of the graft. They will develop a model that can be translated to people using mouse experiments and lab studies, and link those findings to existing human transplant data. The researchers will study how monocytes form donor‑specific memory and change into cells that drive rejection, and how blocking CD47 can make monocytes unresponsive. The overall aim is to find a combination that could allow transplanted organs to survive without lifelong maintenance immunosuppression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people receiving solid organ transplants (for example kidney transplant recipients) who are at risk of chronic rejection or who might benefit from reducing long‑term immunosuppression.
Not a fit: People who do not have a transplant or whose rejection is driven by pathways unrelated to monocyte CD47/SIRPa interactions are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong immunosuppressive drugs and lower the risk of chronic rejection and graft failure.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical mouse studies and human transplant genetic data support CD47's role in monocyte responses, but combining CD47 blockade with T‑cell costimulatory blockade is a novel translational strategy.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oberbarnscheidt, Martin H — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Oberbarnscheidt, Martin H
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.