Investigating ways to prevent liver transplant rejection
Official title: Preclinical Studies of Living and Deceased Donor Liver Allograft Tolerance
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11049344 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at ways to help people who receive liver transplants avoid rejection without needing to take long-term medications, which can have side effects, so that they can have better outcomes and feel healthier after their transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 3, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,286,273 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI180237-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11049344 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who are undergoing or are candidates for liver transplantation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have already experienced severe complications from liver transplantation or those who are not candidates for transplantation may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how to induce tolerance in liver transplant recipients to reduce the risk of acute rejection, which affects up to 30% of patients. By using a nonhuman primate model, the researchers aim to explore different strategies for achieving liver tolerance without the need for long-term immunosuppressive medications. The study will investigate the mechanisms behind tolerance and develop protocols that could be applied to both living and deceased donor liver transplants. Patients may benefit from improved transplant outcomes and reduced side effects from immunosuppressive drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer liver transplants with lower rates of rejection and fewer complications from medications.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown some success in achieving organ tolerance, but this approach is novel and aims to refine and expand those strategies.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sykes, Megan — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Sykes, Megan
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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.