Predicting acute rejection in children after heart transplant
Official title: Predictive modeling of acute rejection in pediatric heart transplant recipients
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11364137 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $619,026 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164995-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364137 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children who have received a heart transplant and are monitored for rejection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to MRIs or blood biomarker testing may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project aims to reduce the need for invasive heart biopsies in kids by using blood tests and MRI data to detect early signs of rejection. Researchers will combine donor DNA fragments in blood and microRNA with sophisticated image analysis of MRI scans to spot patterns that signal rejection. The team plans to develop user-friendly methods that clinicians can apply in real time to guide treatment decisions. If successful, these tools could lower the number of biopsies and improve safety for pediatric patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive fewer invasive biopsies and earlier, more precise treatment for rejection.
How similar studies have gone: Early noninvasive signals of rejection have shown promise, but this approach seeks to combine biomarkers with imaging in children specifically.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Soslow, Jonathan Harvey — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Soslow, Jonathan Harvey
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Better ways to find heart transplant rejection in children
This research aims to find less invasive and more accurate ways to detect when a child's body is rejecting a new heart.
-
Improving detection of acute rejection in children who have heart transplants
This study is looking for safer ways to check for heart transplant rejection in kids by using blood tests and special imaging instead of needing risky biopsies, helping to keep young patients healthier and more comfortable.
-
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.
-
Pediatric Heart Pump to Let Kids Go Home While Waiting for Transplant
A new ultra-low-power pediatric heart pump is being developed so children awaiting a heart transplant can go home or live with the device.
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.