Personalized transplant rejection diagnostic using advanced RNA and immune profiling
Official title: Bioinformatics pipeline for personalized diagnostics of transplant rejection
Funded at Datirium, LLC · NIH-11254890 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new test uses advanced RNA and immune-cell analysis to help doctors choose personalized anti-rejection therapy for kidney transplant patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Datirium, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 6, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $306,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R41AI189162-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11254890 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Kidney transplant recipients or those at risk of rejection who could benefit from personalized anti-rejection therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without rejection risk or those not undergoing biopsy/urine profiling may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to develop a diagnostic test from kidney biopsy or urine samples by analyzing single-cell RNA and immune receptor data to identify alloreactive CD8 T cells causing rejection. The test would guide physicians in selecting targeted anti-rejection treatments tailored to each patient’s immune profile. The work combines bioinformatics with kidney transplant biology to translate complex data into a practical clinical tool. If successful, it could reduce graft loss and improve outcomes while potentially lowering costs associated with rejection and failed transplants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may receive more precise anti-rejection therapy, potentially improving graft survival and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous data suggest scRNA/VDJ analysis can identify alloreactive CD8 T cells; this project extends these findings toward a diagnostic test.
Where this research is happening
-
Datirium, LLC
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barski, Artem — Datirium, LLC
- Study coordinator: Barski, Artem
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immunological mechanisms behind treatment-resistant kidney transplant rejection
This grant explores why certain kidney transplant rejections don’t respond to standard treatments and what immune cells in the graft are driving that resistance.
-
Understanding how BK virus links infection to kidney transplant rejection
This project looks at how BK polyomavirus reactivation affects kidney transplant patients and aims to use pre-transplant T cell information to tailor immunosuppression and monitoring.
-
Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
-
Using blood biomarkers to guide immunosuppression after liver transplant
This project uses regular blood biomarker checks to help doctors personalize immunosuppression for people who have had a liver transplant to reduce rejection and protect the kidneys.
-
Targeting YAP and TAZ with statins to prevent transplant rejection from donor antibodies
A study to see if statins can block specific gene regulators (YAP and TAZ) to protect transplanted organs from rejection caused by donor antibodies.
-
Predicting acute rejection in children after heart transplant
A study to improve how doctors predict if a child who has had a heart transplant will have acute rejection using noninvasive blood markers and advanced heart MRI analysis.
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.