Transplanting kidneys from Hepatitis C–positive donors into Hepatitis C–negative recipients
Official title: A trial of transplanting Hepatitis C-viremic kidneys into Hepatitis C-Negative kidney recipients (THINKER-NEXT)
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11057580 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives kidneys from Hepatitis C–positive donors to people without Hepatitis C and uses antiviral drugs after transplant to prevent lasting infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,469,793 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK126654-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11057580 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults on the deceased-donor kidney waitlist who do not have Hepatitis C and are willing to accept an HCV-positive kidney and take antiviral medication.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have chronic Hepatitis C, are not transplant candidates, or are unwilling to accept an HCV-positive organ likely would not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are on the kidney transplant waitlist, this program offers the option to accept a kidney from an HCV-positive donor and receive modern antiviral treatment right after transplant. Participants will be treated at multiple transplant centers and closely followed for graft function, cure of the virus, and any post-transplant complications. The study compares these results with standard transplants and tracks whether using these kidneys reduces wait times and organ discard. The goal is to produce strong, multicenter evidence on safety and effectiveness so more people can receive transplants sooner.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could safely expand the donor pool, shorten wait times, and help more people receive lifesaving kidney transplants.
How similar studies have gone: Single-center pilot trials and early series have shown that transplanting HCV-viremic kidneys with prompt antiviral therapy can cure infection and work well, but larger multicenter trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schaubel, Douglas Earl — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Schaubel, Douglas Earl
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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.