Keeping organ transplants accepted after stopping anti-rejection drugs
Infections and the Stability of Transplantation Tolerance
This project looks at how infections and immune memory affect whether people can keep an organ transplant accepted without lifelong anti-rejection drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332895 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would learn about work focused on why some transplant recipients keep a graft without ongoing drugs while others lose that tolerance, often after infections. Researchers study memory T cells and a process called 'linked-sensitization' where a few memory cells can make other immune cells resist tolerance, using laboratory models, immune measurements, and patient-relevant samples. They test approaches such as costimulation blockade and track immune markers and graft behavior to find what makes tolerance stable or vulnerable. The goal is to turn those insights into ways to protect transplants from rejection without lifelong, global immunosuppression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who have received an organ transplant and are interested in approaches to reduce or stop long-term immunosuppression or who have experienced rejection episodes linked to infections.
Not a fit: Patients without organ transplants or those with advanced, irreversible graft failure are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to ways for transplant patients to stop long-term immunosuppressive drugs while keeping their grafts functioning, even after infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies and a small number of clinical cases show transplant tolerance can occur, but reliably preventing rejection in patients—especially during infections—remains an unresolved challenge.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alegre, Maria-Luisa — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Alegre, Maria-Luisa
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.