Preventing antibody rejection and infections after transplant in older adults
Official title: Antibody Mediated Rejection and Post-transplantation Anti-Viral Immunity in Aging
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11321236 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is trying to reduce antibody-driven rejection while keeping antiviral defenses strong in people aged 65 and older who receive a kidney or heart transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 3, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $457,584 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI175397-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321236 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People aged 65 and older who are planning to receive or have received a kidney or heart transplant are the most directly relevant candidates for clinical participation or sample donation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients younger than 65, people without a heart or kidney transplant, or those with unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you are 65 or older and facing a kidney or heart transplant, researchers are looking at how aging changes a kind of immune cell (T follicular helper cells) that helps make antibodies that can attack a new organ. They will study how the aging, inflammatory environment rewires these cells and may push them into a senescent state that both raises rejection risk and affects antiviral immunity. The team plans laboratory studies using patient-relevant samples and experimental models and will test targeted nanoparticle therapies aimed at 'resetting' the aged Tfh response. Their goal is to find ways to separate harmful anti-donor antibody responses from helpful antiviral immunity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower antibody-mediated rejection and reduce infection risk after heart or kidney transplant in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked T follicular helper cells to antibody responses, but targeting age-related Tfh rewiring with nanoparticle therapy is a novel approach that has not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sage, Peter the — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Sage, Peter the
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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.