Safer liver transplants from HIV-positive donors
Expanding HOPE Liver Transplantation: Understanding Opportunistic Infection and Cancer Risk
['FUNDING_U01'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11258257
This project looks at whether liver transplants from HIV-positive donors are safe for people living with HIV and how to lower infections and virus-related cancers.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_U01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11258257 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you are living with HIV and need a liver transplant, this project follows people who receive livers from HIV-positive donors to understand why some have more infections or virus-linked cancers. Researchers will collect medical records, blood and tissue samples and perform tests like CD4 counts, viral assays, and advanced immune profiling (including CITE-sequencing) over months and years. They will compare outcomes to people who received livers from donors without HIV and look for viral reactivation, immune changes, and other risk factors. The aim is to identify better donor selection, monitoring, and preventive treatments to make these transplants safer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who need a liver transplant and are willing to consider an organ from an HIV-positive donor are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, those who are not transplant candidates, or patients not treated at participating transplant centers would not benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could make HIV-positive-donor liver transplants safer by reducing opportunistic infections and virus-associated cancers for people living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier HOPE program work showed HIV-to-HIV organ transplants are feasible but found higher early infections and some increased mortality, so this project builds on those findings to improve safety.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DURAND, CHRISTINE MARIE — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: DURAND, CHRISTINE MARIE
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.
Conditions: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus