Technology Aided Strategies to Help Liver Transplant Patients Stick to Their Treatment
Official title: Technology Enabled Strategies to Promote Treatment Adherence in Liver Transplant: The TEST Trial
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11385125 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new program uses technology to help people who have had a liver transplant take their medicines correctly and stay well.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | May 19, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $665,753 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK131547-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385125 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have had a liver transplant, including those aged 65 and older, who are on complex medication regimens.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to technology-enabled strategies or those with very stable adherence may see limited additional benefit.
What this research studies
If you’ve had a liver transplant, staying on a complex medicine plan is essential but can be hard. This project tests technology-enabled approaches to support adherence to immunosuppressive and other medications in adults, especially older adults, to prevent graft problems and improve health. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania will follow patients over several years to see how well the tools work in real-world settings. They will look at medication routines, cognitive challenges, and social factors that influence how people take their meds. The goal is to find practical options to keep transplant patients healthy long term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could make it easier for liver transplant patients to take their medicines correctly and reduce risk of graft failure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that support tools can improve medication adherence in transplant patients, but this study tests a targeted, scalable approach in older adults.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Serper, Marina — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Serper, Marina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
-
Biomarker-guided reduction of immunosuppression after liver transplant
A multicenter trial tests whether using blood biomarkers to guide tapering of immunosuppression in adults with liver transplants can keep people healthy while lowering drug exposure.
-
Understanding how liver disease progresses in people waiting for a liver transplant
A study will build a knowledge base that maps how liver disease worsens over time in patients on the transplant waitlist to improve care and planning.
-
Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
-
Pre-Transplant Immune Health Marker Panel to Predict Liver Transplant Outcomes
A patient-facing biomarker test used before liver transplant to help doctors estimate the risk of early death after the transplant.
-
Thinking skills and self-care after a liver transplant
This project follows people who received liver transplants to learn how changes in thinking and memory affect managing medicines, clinic visits, and overall health.
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.