Immune changes around Epstein‑Barr virus in children after organ transplant
Understanding the immune response changes to clinical interventions for Epstein-Barr virus infection prior to lymphoma development in children after organ transplants (UNEARTH)
This project looks at how children's immune systems respond to treatments for Epstein‑Barr virus after a solid organ transplant to help identify who might later develop lymphoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168929 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has a solid organ transplant and gets an Epstein‑Barr virus (EBV) infection, the team will follow their blood during the first year after transplant to watch immune changes. They will run detailed tests on T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and measure EBV and related viruses in blood at five time points. The project will include 278 pediatric transplant recipients (kidney, liver, heart, lung, or intestine) across three major children's hospitals and analyze 1,390 samples. The goal is to compare children with a new EBV infection versus those with a chronic high EBV viral load and to link immune patterns with treatment responses and outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children who received a solid organ transplant (kidney, liver, heart, lung, or intestine) and who develop a new EBV infection or a chronic high EBV viral load in the first year after transplant would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, transplant recipients without EBV infection or those outside the first year after transplant, and people unable to access the participating hospitals are unlikely to benefit directly from joining this effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors predict which children are at higher risk for post‑transplant lymphoma and tailor treatments to prevent it.
How similar studies have performed: Routine EBV DNA monitoring alone has not reliably predicted post‑transplant lymphoma, and using detailed T‑cell and NK‑cell profiling is a newer approach with some early promise but not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dharnidharka, Vikas R. — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Dharnidharka, Vikas R.
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.