HLA differences and kidney transplant outcomes
HLA Immunogenetics and kidney allograft outcomes
This project looks at how tiny differences in donor and recipient HLA proteins affect antibody reactions and long-term survival of kidney transplants for people with end-stage kidney disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11224042 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one needs a kidney transplant, this work studies whether specific amino-acid differences in donor and recipient HLA proteins trigger immune attacks that harm the kidney. The team uses high-resolution molecular HLA typing and clinical data from diverse transplant patients to count mismatches at surface-exposed amino acids (called eplets) and link them to new donor-specific antibodies and graft loss. They combine larger, more diverse patient groups than prior single-center reports to make findings more broadly applicable. The results aim to help doctors identify higher-risk donor-recipient pairs and improve monitoring after transplant.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with end-stage kidney disease who are awaiting a kidney transplant or recent transplant recipients willing to share HLA typing and clinical follow-up data.
Not a fit: People without kidney disease or those not involved in transplant care would not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help predict which transplants are at higher risk of rejection and guide better matching and follow-up to protect transplanted kidneys.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller single-center studies have linked high-resolution HLA eplet mismatches to donor-specific antibodies and graft failure, but broader validation in larger, diverse populations is still needed.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kamoun, Malek — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Kamoun, Malek
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.