Our roundup of the latest kidney transplant news brings together exciting studies and innovations designed to increase successful transplants by improving the procurement system, introducing new procedures, and maximizing the use of donor organs.
A recent article in the New York Times describes a promising new transplant procedure called desensitization, which alters patients’ immune systems so that they can accept kidneys from incompatible donors. – New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants from Any Donor
Research led by scientists at Columbia University Medical Center highlights problems in organ procurement on weekends and calls for strategies to improve the system to optimize organ procurement and utilization and increase transplants. They found that kidneys procured on the weekend have a higher probability (more than 20%) of being discarded vs. kidneys procured on other days of the week. – Donor Kidneys May Be Discarded Due to “Weekend Effect” at Hospitals
Enterprising students at the University of Iowa are working to increase transplants with a mobile app called ORGANizer, which would improve communication and coordination among transplant teams. – Gilbert Grad Develops App to Improve Organ Transplant Communication
Another New York Times article explores solutions to the challenge of finding a living kidney donor, including an app to help patients reach out and share their story and their kidney quest through social media. – Finding Organ Donors Concealed in Plain Sight