How transplanted organs and bodies can speed up or slow down aging
Understanding Interorgan Communication Through Heterochronic Organ Transplantation
This project looks at whether organs from older or younger donors change the biological aging of the transplanted organ and the recipient, which could matter for people getting organ transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11299011 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers want to know if receiving an older or younger organ changes how your body or the graft ages. They will use age-mismatched transplants in lab models and examine tissues and blood for molecular aging markers, immune changes, and signs of senescent cells. The team will connect these lab findings with clinical transplant scenarios by working with transplant clinicians and analyzing patient-relevant data. Their measurements include biological age biomarkers and functional outcomes to understand risks and potential protective strategies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people listed for or having received organ transplants who can provide clinical data or biological samples and attend follow-up at participating centers.
Not a fit: People who do not need organ transplants or whose conditions are unrelated to transplant biology would not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors reduce rejection, improve donor–recipient matching, and protect patients' long-term health by addressing organ aging.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies, including preliminary work from this team, show donor and recipient age can change organ biology, but applying these findings to human care is still largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gladyshev, Vadim N. — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gladyshev, Vadim N.
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.