Improving kidney transplant outcomes in children by analyzing immune responses
Official title: Implementation of Eplet Mismatch Analysis in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11092334 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how kids' immune systems react to certain proteins in donor kidneys to help make kidney transplants more successful and reduce the chances of rejection, so that children can have healthier, longer-lasting transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $173,880 |
| NIH project number | 5K08DK134762-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11092334 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are undergoing or are candidates for kidney transplantation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not candidates for kidney transplantation or are older than 11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing kidney transplant success in children by analyzing how the immune system responds to specific proteins from donor kidneys. By identifying high-risk mismatches between donor and recipient, the study aims to improve organ allocation strategies, potentially leading to better long-term survival of transplanted kidneys. The research will involve creating a large cohort of pediatric kidney transplant patients and performing detailed genetic testing to understand the immune responses better. This approach could help tailor transplant strategies to minimize the risk of organ rejection due to antibody formation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved kidney transplant outcomes and longer-lasting organ function for pediatric patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using similar immunological approaches to improve transplant outcomes, indicating that this methodology has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Charnaya, Olga — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Charnaya, Olga
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Strategies for HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants to increase organ donations
This project looks at making HIV-to-HIV kidney transplantation more common to help people with HIV get transplants faster by boosting organ donation and changing practice.
-
Biomarker-guided Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplant Patients
A multicenter study in kidney transplant recipients is testing whether a biomarker score from HLA-DR/DQ can guide changes in immunosuppression to reduce rejection risk and drug toxicity.
-
Helping the immune system accept a donated kidney in patients without prior sensitization
This project will try giving specially treated donor B cells alongside immune-sparing medicines to teach the immune systems of kidney transplant patients without prior antibodies to accept the new kidney.
-
Lowering donor-specific antibodies in sensitized kidney transplant patients
This project works to reduce harmful donor-specific antibodies in people who are sensitized and need a kidney transplant so their new organ lasts longer.
-
Reducing geographic disparities in kidney transplant access with AI and operations research
Aiming to use AI and operations research to make kidney transplant access more fair across different regions in the U.S.
-
Centralized patient coaching to boost live donor kidney transplantation
A US-wide program trains patients, caregivers, and their networks with coaching to help them pursue living donor kidney transplantation.
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.