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Autologous Thymus Transplant in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: A Pilot Study
Sponsor: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
Summary
This pilot study will look at whether putting back a child's own thymus tissue during heart surgery is safe and may help support the immune system in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). During some heart surgeries, the thymus gland is removed to allow surgeons access to the heart. The thymus is important for helping the body develop infection-fighting immune cells. Researchers will compare children who have their thymus tissue reimplanted with children who have the thymus removed but not reimplanted. The study will evaluate the safety of the procedure, whether the transplanted tissue survives and functions, and whether it helps maintain or improve immune system health. Researchers will also monitor infections, recovery after surgery, hospital stays, quality of life, and overall health outcomes. Blood samples will be collected over time to better understand how the immune system changes after surgery and whether thymus reimplantation provides long-term benefits. Participants will be followed for up to 24 months after surgery.
Official title: Autologous Thymus Transplant in CHD Patients With no Congenital Athymia - A Pilot Study
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
2 Months - 2 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
10
Start Date
2026-09
Completion Date
2029-12
Last Updated
2026-09-02
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Autologous Thymus Transplant
Autologous thymus transplantation (ATT) is an emerging therapeutic approach by the Cardiothoracic Surgery team at CCHMC that involves using the patient's own thymic tissue to restore immune function. For children with congenital heart disease (CHD), especially those undergoing cardiac surgery, the thymus is often removed or damaged, leading to potential immunodeficiencies. ATT aims to mitigate these issues.