VisR ultrasound to monitor antibody-driven rejection after a kidney transplant
Official title: VisR Ultrasound for Monitoring Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Renal Transplant Patients
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11237604 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new ultrasound method called VisR is being used to look for antibody-related rejection in people who have received a kidney transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2016 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $681,443 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK107740-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237604 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with a kidney transplant who are at risk for or suspected of having antibody-mediated rejection.
✕Less likely to help
People without a kidney transplant, those whose graft problems are from non-antibody causes, or those with already irreversible graft fibrosis are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would have regular noninvasive ultrasound exams using a technique called VisR to look for early signs that antibodies are attacking your transplanted kidney. The research team will compare VisR images with blood and urine biomarkers and, when available, biopsy results to see how well VisR detects rejection before damage becomes severe. The approach aims to identify rejection earlier than current methods so treatments can start sooner and irreversible fibrosis can be avoided. Visits would include scheduled imaging and routine lab checks over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could detect antibody-mediated rejection earlier, reduce the need for invasive biopsies, and help prolong transplant function.
How similar studies have gone: Standard ultrasound and biomarker approaches have been nonspecific, and VisR is a newer imaging method with limited but promising preliminary data rather than long-established success.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gallippi, Caterina M — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Gallippi, Caterina M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immunological mechanisms behind treatment-resistant kidney transplant rejection
This grant explores why certain kidney transplant rejections don’t respond to standard treatments and what immune cells in the graft are driving that resistance.
-
Understanding how BK virus links infection to kidney transplant rejection
This project looks at how BK polyomavirus reactivation affects kidney transplant patients and aims to use pre-transplant T cell information to tailor immunosuppression and monitoring.
-
Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
-
Using blood biomarkers to guide immunosuppression after liver transplant
This project uses regular blood biomarker checks to help doctors personalize immunosuppression for people who have had a liver transplant to reduce rejection and protect the kidneys.
-
Targeting YAP and TAZ with statins to prevent transplant rejection from donor antibodies
A study to see if statins can block specific gene regulators (YAP and TAZ) to protect transplanted organs from rejection caused by donor antibodies.
-
Predicting acute rejection in children after heart transplant
A study to improve how doctors predict if a child who has had a heart transplant will have acute rejection using noninvasive blood markers and advanced heart MRI analysis.
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.