Understanding How the Body Accepts Heart Transplants
Core A: Elucidating the Mechanisms Underlying Mixed-Chimerism Based Tolerance
This work aims to discover how to help the body accept a new heart without rejection, building on success with kidney transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140411 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
For patients receiving kidney transplants, we've found ways to help their bodies accept the new organ by creating a 'mixed chimerism' state, which reduces the need for strong anti-rejection medicines. However, this method hasn't yet worked for heart transplants, which are more challenging for the immune system. Our goal is to improve these methods so that heart transplant recipients can also benefit from better acceptance of their new organ. We are exploring the detailed ways the immune system responds to transplants to design safer and more effective approaches for the future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is for future heart transplant recipients who could benefit from improved methods of preventing organ rejection.
Not a fit: Patients who do not require a heart transplant or those whose current anti-rejection therapies are already well-managed may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that help heart transplant patients avoid lifelong anti-rejection medications and their side effects.
How similar studies have performed: Similar approaches have shown success in achieving kidney transplant tolerance in both monkeys and human patients, but not yet for heart transplants.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Benichou, Gilles a — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Benichou, Gilles a
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.