Clinical Research Directory

Hypothermic Machine Perfusion With Omnisol of Deceased Donor Kidneys Prior to Transplantation

Insufficient availability of organs from brain dead (DBD) and living donors has necessitated increased use of less than optimal organs from donation after cardiac death (DCD) or from extended criteria donors. Preservation of DCD organs using the current clinically applied preservation solutions is associated with up to 73% incidence of delayed graft function, highlighting the need for new preservation solutions designed to improve early graft function. Omnisol is expected to result in equivalent or improved kidney preservation as compared to currently marketed organ preservation solutions used for HMP.

Letermovir for R+ Study

The purpose of this clinical trial is to find out whether a medication, called letermovir, can help prevent a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) in participants who receive a kidney or liver transplant and who have already been exposed the CMV. Participants will take letermovir for 84 days.

Safety and Tolerability of IDO-1 Inhibition in the Prevention of EBV-related Pathology in EBV Negative Kidney Transplant Recipients Receiving an Organ From EBV Positive Donors

This clinical study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of an IDO-1 inhibitor in patients receiving a kidney transplant. The study includes individuals who have not previously been infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and who receive a kidney from a donor with prior EBV infection. Participants will receive the IDO-1 inhibitor or placebo in addition to standard medical care and will be monitored for side effects and other safety-related outcomes throughout the study.

NRP + ex Situ HMPO2 vs NRP Alone in DCD Kidney Transplantation

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the combination of Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) at the time of organ procurement with ex situ Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HMPO2) of kidneys recovered from donors after circulatory death (DCD) is superior to NRP alone. The researchers will learn if the combined use of these technologies provides a benefit in terms of kidney transplant outcomes. The researchers will also learn about the patient quality of life after these transplants and if the use of these technologies is cost efficient. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does NRP +HMPO2 provides a better DCD kidney function at 1 year post-transplant compared to NRP alone. * Are the postoperative complications and outcomes different between the two groups? * Is the quality of life of recipients different between the two groups? * Is the use of NRP +HMPO2 a cost effective strategy? Researchers will compare NRP and HMPO2 with NRP alone to see if the combined use of the technologies provides better transplant outcomes. Participants will: * Receive a kidney treated with one of the two strategies. * Visit the clinic as per usual clinical practice for checkups and tests * Report on their quality of life pre and post transplant * Undergo a kidney biopsy at one year to forecast long term transplant function

A Multicenter, Prospective Blood Collection Study in a Kidney Transplant Population

The purpose of this research is to collect blood samples and data from kidney transplant patients. The samples and data will be used for research and development of non-invasive test to detect donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) in kidney transplant patients to evaluate the status of the transplanted organ.

(TNX-1500) in Kidney Transplant Recipients

The primary objective is to investigate the safety of TNX-1500, an FC-modified anti-CD154 mAb, in five kidney transplant recipients at 12 months.

Optimization of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Pediatric Kidney Transplant

The goal of this observational, pharmacokinetic study is to evaluate factors that change drug exposure in pediatric kidney transplant recipients so investigators can make better dosing decisions. The main question it aims to answer is: Can investigators quantify the impact of factors that change with time (like food intake and medication adherence) on tacrolimus and mycophenolate? Our hypothesis is that inconsistent drug and food intake will increase day to day variability in drug exposure, and investigators can use this information to help us make decisions about what is the best dose. Participants will participate in the study on 7 days over the course of 1 year. On day 1, participants will be asked questions to see if participants are able to be in this study. Investigators will ask what immunosuppression participants are taking, how tall and how much participants weigh. On day 2, participants and their parent/guardian will be taught how to use the device to collect the blood samples and decide on which days to collect them. On days 3-6, participants will collect blood samples 4 separate times over about 1 year. Collection days should try to be scheduled every 3 months (+/- 2 weeks). On each collection day, participants will collect a sample 7 different times over 9 hours. Each collection will only take approximately 5 minutes. Participants will be asked to collect a blood sample immediately before the morning dose of tacrolimus or mycophenolate, and 20 min, 1hr, 3hr, 4hr, 6hr, 9hr after the dose. Also on collection days, participants will receive text messages and be asked to complete different assessments about their medications, diet, and how they feel by responding to the texts. On day 7, participants will have the opportunity to participate in an interview where investigators will ask about participants' experience in the study.

Effects Of Propofol And Sevoflurane On Plasma Mirna Levels İn Living Kidney Donors

Surgical interventions and associated tissue trauma induce a complex systemic inflammatory stress response characterized by the activation of neuroendocrine, metabolic, and immunological systems. Donor nephrectomy operations performed in living kidney donors are among the unique clinical models where these inflammatory cascades and cellular stress pathways are most intensely observed, due to major surgical trauma and unavoidable ischemia-reperfusion injury during organ clamping. Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs), which epigenetically regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, serve as key determinants in perioperative medicine regarding immune response, resolution of inflammation, and cellular adaptation processes . Among our target molecules, miR-146a acts as a dominant, negative regulator (brake mechanism) of the innate immune response , while miR-155 plays an important role in the inflammatory response by triggering pro-inflammatory macrophage activation . Conversely, miR-21 displays an anti-apoptotic adaptation mechanism against tissue damage by directly targeting programmed cell death pathways . Propofol, an intravenous agent, and sevoflurane, a volatile anesthetic, are known to differentially impact microRNAs in circulating extracellular vesicles during major surgical interventions . The original value of this study lies in being the first randomized clinical trial in the literature to comprehensively examine the acute comparative effects of these two anesthesia techniques on perioperative inflammatory miRNA expression profiles in completely healthy living kidney donors. The objective is to comparatively evaluate the dynamic changes in plasma miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-21 levels under general anesthesia maintained with propofol or sevoflurane. Regarding the methodology, the research will be conducted on 34 voluntary living kidney donors aged 18-65 in the ASA I-II risk group, scheduled for elective donor nephrectomy at Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Şahinbey Training and Research Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation. Donors will be allocated into two equal groups (Group P: Propofol, n=17 and Group S: Sevoflurane, n=17) using a computer-assisted block randomization method, with anesthesia maintenance titrated to a Bispectral Index (BIS) of 40-60. Peripheral venous blood samples will be collected into K3-EDTA tubes at three different time points: before anesthesia induction (T0: basal), at the end of surgery (T1), and at the postoperative 24th hour (T2). In accordance with project management and data privacy principles, personal identity information will be masked, and each participant will be recorded in the system with a unique "File Number" (Dosya No). In the molecular phase conducted in coordination with the Department of Medical Genetics laboratory, total RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis will be performed from plasma samples separated under cold chain rules. Expression levels of target genes and the U6 snRNA internal control will be quantitatively analyzed in duplicate using Real-Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Fold change ratios will be calculated using the method and analyzed with biostatistical methods including Shapiro-Wilk, Student's t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. As for the widespread impact, the molecular findings to be obtained will elucidate the epigenetic reflections of general anesthesia applications on systemic inflammation and organ protection capacities for the first time. These results will lead to the development of the safest, evidence-based anesthesia protocols that will minimize the inflammatory load caused by surgical trauma at the cellular level in living kidney donors, increase donor comfort and postoperative recovery quality, and protect kidney graft quality against ischemic injury, providing a strong scientific foundation for international transplantation guidelines.

Detection of Circulating Kidney DNA in Kidney Transplant Patients Facing an Episode of Graft Rejection

In France, 3,500 kidney transplants are carried out per year; and 40,000 people succeed in 2019 with a kidney transplant. Despite regular medical monitoring, nearly 30% of transplant patients will develop rejection. Currently, only solid biopsy of the graft makes it possible to establish the diagnosis of graft rejection, and to characterize its cellular origin based on the Banff classification. Several studies have shown the possibility of identifying the tissue origin of DNA circulating in the blood, in healthy subjects, on the basis of the epigenetic properties of circulating DNA. In addition, in kidney transplant subjects, an increase in the quantity of circulating DNA originating from the graft in the blood and urine has been shown as well as an increase in urinary chemokine levels during renal dysfunction (notably dismiss). Thus, the company CGenetix in partnership with INSERM units 1155 and 1151 is developing a method to identify and characterize kidney transplant rejection early, through the detection of epigenetic biomarkers on circulating DNA targeting different fractions of the kidney (glomerular, tubular, peritubular capillary and vascular). The main objective is to study the diagnostic performance of the quantity of DNA of renal origin in kidney transplant patients in the blood and in the urine (expressed in copies/ml) for the diagnosis of type Rejection mediated by kidneys. antibody (ABMR) established by kidney graft biopsy (gold standard) and according to the Banff 2022 classification.

Microbiome and Immunosuppression: The Mission Study

The purpose of this research is to study immunosuppression drugs, certain foods, and how they can change the microbiome (the natural microorganisms inside the body) of the individual taking the immunosuppressive medications. The study team wants to study how the microbiome affects how the body processes the transplant medication.

GraftAssure Lowering Allograft rejeCTIon by Combination- (GALACTIC) Trial

The GALACTIC Registry study purpose is to validate the Combination Model-score (CM-score) for increased accuracy in the percentage of the positive predictive value (PPV) of allograft rejection results for the GraftAssure (GraftAssureCore and GraftAssureDx) assay. This will also be correlated with the biopsy yield and treatment decisions. The GraftAssure assay is a diagnostic test intended for the quantitative measurement of dd-cfDNA in plasma from kidney transplant recipients. The test is minimally invasive, and is intended to be used in conjunction with standard clinical assessment and other laboratory findings as an aid in the detection of allograft rejection.

Prediction and Prevention of Bloodstream Infections After Kidney Transplantation

Kidney transplant recipients take medicines that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection of the transplanted kidney. As a result, they have a high risk of infections, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs). Some of these infections can spread to the bloodstream and cause serious illness, hospitalization, loss of kidney function, or death. Currently, there is no established strategy to prevent these serious bacterial infections in kidney transplant recipients who are at highest risk. The PREDICT study is investigating whether a low daily dose of the antibiotic pivmecillinam can reduce the risk of bacterial urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections after kidney transplantation. The study focuses on kidney transplant recipients who have bacteria detected in their urine during the first month after transplantation, as previous research suggests that these patients have a particularly high risk of developing serious infections later. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 180 adult kidney transplant recipients will be assigned by chance to receive either pivmecillinam or a matching placebo from 1 to 6 months after transplantation. Neither participants nor study staff will know which treatment has been assigned during the study. All participants will continue to receive standard post-transplant care and monitoring. The main goal of the study is to determine whether prophylactic pivmecillinam can reduce the occurrence of infections caused by Enterobacterales bacteria, including urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections, during the first 6 months after transplantation. The study will also evaluate the effects of treatment on serious clinical outcomes, safety, quality of life, antimicrobial resistance, and long-term kidney transplant outcomes. The study hypothesis is that targeted antibiotic prophylaxis with pivmecillinam in kidney transplant recipients at increased risk of infection will reduce the incidence of Enterobacterales urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections during the high-risk period after transplantation compared with placebo.

Immunosuppression Optimization Using The Prospera Assay In Kidney Transplant Recipients (IMPAKT)

IMPAKT is a research study that looks at whether a blood test called Prospera™ can help doctors better adjust anti-rejection medications, compared to the usual way doctors manage these medications without using this test.

Cemiplimab for Kidney Transplant Recipients With Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This is a phase II, multicenter, open label, single arm, non-randomized trial using Simon's optimal two-stage design to evaluate the efficacy of cemiplimab in kidney transplant recipients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The hypothesis being tested is that cemiplimab alongside standardized immune suppression will generate anti-tumor activity without triggering allograft rejection.

Effect of Terlipressin for Intraoperative Blood Pressure Management in Kidney Transplantation

Prospective double blind randomized controlled trial. By randomizing patients undergoing kidney transplantation into a conventional catecholamine drug (dobutamine) blood pressure maintenance group and a terlipressin-complexed dobutamine group, the investigators compared the effect of intraoperative blood pressure maintenance and the dosage of the vasoactive drug, postoperative graft function, delayed graft function, and other related complications between the two groups, in order to demonstrate whether the use of terlipressin for blood pressure regulation during kidney transplantation is superior to the existing treatments.

Comparison of the Effects of General Anesthesia and Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia on Ferroptosis, Humanin and MOTS-c Levels in Renal Transplantation

Renal transplantation is the most effective renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease. Ischemia-reperfusion injury may adversely affect graft function and long-term outcomes. Ferroptosis has recently emerged as a potential mechanism involved in ischemia-reperfusion injury, while the mitochondrial-derived peptides humanin and MOTS-c are thought to exert protective effects against oxidative stress. However, the effects of different anesthetic techniques on these biomarkers in kidney transplant recipients have not been investigated. This prospective controlled study aims to compare the effects of sevoflurane general anesthesia (SGA) and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) on serum ferroptosis markers, humanin, and MOTS-c levels in adult kidney transplant recipients. Blood samples will be obtained perioperatively for biomarker analysis. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of the anesthetic technique on serum ferroptosis markers, humanin, and MOTS-c levels. Secondary objectives include evaluating early graft function and postoperative outcomes by assessing the incidence of delayed graft function, postoperative serum creatinine levels, requirement for dialysis, urine output, length of hospital stay, and the association of these outcomes with perioperative biomarker levels.

Feasibility and Plausible Effectiveness of a Lifestyle Intervention in Kidney Transplant Recipients (HEAL)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether if it is feasible to implement a study of patients receiving kidney transplantation, to learn if these patients will complete selective outcomes measurements, and to examine if a lifestyle intervention may assist with preventing weight gain compared to standard medical care. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is it feasible to recruit and retain patients who have undergone kidney transplantation into a study to compare standard medical care to standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention focused on prevention of weight gain? * Will participants engage in the interventions and be compliant to the components of the interventions? * Will there be any difference between the interventions between the interventions for the occurrence of adverse events specific to kidney transplantation? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on preventing weight gain compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on body composition compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on fasting glucose compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on fasting insulin compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on insulin sensitivity compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on physical function compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on health-related quality of life compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on changes in dietary intake compared to standard medical care alone? * Will there be initial effectiveness for the standard medical care plus a lifestyle intervention to have a better effect on physical activity and sedentary behavior compared to standard medical care alone? Participants will: * Participants will continue with their standard medical care following kidney transplantation. * Participants only receiving standard medical care will also complete brief monitoring visits at week 6, 12, and 18. * Participants receiving the lifestyle intervention will attend weekly intervention sessions and will be recommended to modify their diet and physical activity behaviors in an effort to prevent weight gain. * Participants will complete outcome measurements as the start of the study and again after 6 months in the study. * After 6 months in the study, participants will also complete a brief intervention and answer other questions about their experience in the study.

Adipose-derived MSC to Treat Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients

This research study is being done to learn if an experimental treatment of infusing allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (allo-A-MSC ) directly into the renal artery is safe and can help reduce inflammation in the transplanted kidney and treat rejection.

Sparsentan in Posttransplant Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy or Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sparsentan tablets for the treatment of patients with proteinuria after kidney transplantation with once-daily dosing for 36 weeks.

Alloreactive Memory B Lymphocytes and Anti-HLA Sensitization

In transplantation, B lymphocytes are major cellular players in the alloreactive humoral response through the production of antibodies targeting allogeneic HLA molecules expressed by the transplant. In subjects sensitized to HLA antigens, the contribution of pre-existing alloreactive memory B lymphocytes (Bmem) to allograft rejection phenomena after transplantation is now recognized. It has been proposed that the identification of these Bmem during the pre-transplant period could contribute to a better assessment of post-transplant immunological risk, allowing optimization of strategies to prevent humoral rejection. However, knowledge regarding the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of Bmem as well as their clonal diversity is still extremely limited, not allowing discrimination between pathogenic and non-pathogenic alloreactive humoral responses. Such discrimination requires a better understanding of the modalities of differentiation of alloreactive B lymphocyte responses. To this end, this study aims to characterize the clonal, phenotypic and functional properties of alloreactive Bmem in subjects awaiting renal transplantation and sensitized to HLA antigens.

Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Ravulizumab Administered Intravenously in Adult Participants at High Risk of Delayed Graft Function After Kidney Transplantation

The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of ravulizumab vs placebo in reducing the severity of DGF as measured by time to freedom from dialysis in adult participants who are at high risk of DGF after undergoing transplant of deceased donor kidney.

Impact of Culture of Perfusion Fluid on Donor-derived Infection Management and Outcome in Liver and Kidney Transplant

This study aims to evaluate whether microbiological testing of the perfusion fluid used to transport transplanted organs can help predict the development of infections in liver and kidney transplant recipients, including possible donor-derived infections (infections transmitted from the donor organ). The study will include all liver and kidney transplant recipients with available perfusion fluid culture results from 2021 until the start of the study (retrospective phase) and for two years after study initiation (prospective phase). The study will assess how often high-risk microorganisms are identified in perfusion fluid, whether these findings are associated with complications or infections in recipients, and whether they affect patient outcomes, including mortality.

Risk Factors Associated With the Absence of CMV-specific Cellular Immune Response in the Early Post-transplant Period in Low-risk CMV-seropositive Kidney Transplant Recipients

The goal of this observational study is to identify risk factors associated with the absence of CMV-specific cellular immune response in low-risk CMV-seropositive kidney transplant recipients in the early post-transplant period. The participant population includes adult CMV-seropositive kidney transplant recipients who did not receive antithymocyte globulin (ATG) induction therapy and underwent QuantiFERON-CMV testing within the first 45 days after transplantation. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Is it possible to predict which patients will fail to develop a CMV-specific cellular immune response before day 45 post-transplant in the absence of directly available immune assessment techniques? Researchers will compare patients with reactive QuantiFERON-CMV results to patients with non-reactive or indeterminate results to identify factors associated with the absence of CMV-specific cellular immune response. Participants will have retrospective clinical and laboratory data collected from medical records.

CAR-T Cell Therapy for Desensitization in Kidney Transplantation

This research study is for people who have been waiting for a kidney transplant for at least one year, and who have a cPRA of 99.5% or higher. Having a cPRA of 99.5% or higher means that your immune system would reject 99.5% of kidneys available for transplant. The study will test whether new products called Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR T Cells), when given with chemotherapy, is safe and will reduce cPRA. The main study will last up to 2 years: Participants will have up to 30 clinic or hospital visits over a one-year period. If a transplant takes place, there will be 9 more visits after transplant. Long term follow up is required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 15 years after receiving CAR T cell. The primary objective is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of administering CART BCMA + huCART-19 following lymphodepletion, including determination of optimal tolerated regimen (OTR) and/or recommended phase 2 regimen, according to the incidence of dose limiting toxicity (DLT) in highly sensitized patients awaiting kidney transplant.