As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the United States and around the world, scientists and clinicians are learning more every day about this confounding new virus and the myriad ways it attacks multiple organs throughout the body, including the kidneys. We have brought together a collection of articles to tell the emerging story … Continue reading Coronavirus: Its Impact on the Kidneys and Kidney Patients
Inflammation Linked to Diabetes After Transplant
Researchers have been unable to explain why up to 30 percent of organ transplant patients develop diabetes. Immunosuppressant drugs have topped the list of possible causes, leading doctors to believe that diabetes may be inevitable for some patients. A new study from Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania reveals that the culprit may be inflammation caused … Continue reading Inflammation Linked to Diabetes After Transplant
Top News on Kidney Transplant Innovations
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 … Continue reading Top News on Kidney Transplant Innovations
Do Female Hormones Protect the Kidney?
Two new studies point to interesting evidence that female hormones may protect women’s kidneys from damage, suggesting novel gender-based avenues to safeguard kidney health for women and men. Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that female hormones may provide greater resistance to kidney damage following a kidney transplant. The scientists found that even when … Continue reading Do Female Hormones Protect the Kidney?
Update: Proposed CMS Regulation on Transplant Medications Shelved
We are happy to update this post and report that CMS (The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) has pulled back on controversial Medicare drug benefit proposals. CMS was proposing severe limitations for transplant medications covered under Medicare Part D. This could have jeopardized the health and lives of transplant patients who depend on these drugs. … Continue reading Update: Proposed CMS Regulation on Transplant Medications Shelved
Urine Test Effective in Diagnosing Kidney Transplant Fibrosis
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have developed a urine test to diagnose and monitor fibrosis or scarring in kidney transplant patients experiencing organ rejection. The simple test could eliminate the need for the many invasive and potentially harmful needle biopsies now used in this situation. Best of all, it would enable doctors to identify and … Continue reading Urine Test Effective in Diagnosing Kidney Transplant Fibrosis