Clinical Research Directory

Vascular Complications After Kidney Transplantation

* To determine the incidence of arterial inflow problems and venous outflow problems as causes of impaired renal function and/or treatment-resistant hypertension after kidney transplantation, when all kidney-transplant recipients in Denmark are evaluated according to uniform, well-defined clinical criteria. * To investigate the efficacy and safety of catheter-based balloon treatment (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, PTA) for these vascular complications, of which transplant renal artery stenosis is by far the most common. * To assess whether novel imaging and functional diagnostic methods can predict treatment response.

Double Voiding and Post-transplant UTI

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common in kidney transplant recipients and are an important cause of illness and hospital admissions. Past studies have shown that about 1 out of 5 of newly transplanted patients develop UTI within their first 3 months of transplantation. Such UTIs increase the risk for blood stream infection and acute rejection of the kidney, Improvements in urinary voiding techniques may reduce the frequency of UTI. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits of "double voiding" in kidney transplant recipients.

Feasibility Study for the Comprehensive Overweight/Obesity Management Pre-Kidney Transplant (COMPKT) Program

This project will be a single-arm feasibility study, with a treatment intervention that includes three interrelated components: (1) patient education using a proven weight loss curriculum, and (2) technology tools for making healthy lifestyle choices.

Urine CXCL10 Monitoring Trial in Kidney Transplant

This is a Phase II-III multi-center prospective randomized controlled clinical trial of incident adult renal transplant patients. The primary objective of this study is to determine if the early treatment of rejection, as detected by urinary CXCL10, will improve renal allograft outcomes.

Home-based Exercise in Renal Transplant Recipients

Although patients who have received a kidney transplant have better health than patients on dialysis, heart problems are still the commonest cause of death for kidney transplant recipients. This is because diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes are more common in patients with kidney transplants as well as factors related to having kidney disease itself and the medications transplant recipients have to take to stop them rejecting their transplanted kidney. Exercise is known to help with heart disease in lots of conditions and improves many of the risk factors known to cause heart disease in kidney transplant recipients. This study will investigate whether an individualised, home-based, exercise program improves heart disease in kidney transplant recipients. The study is a randomised controlled trial, with half the patients completing the 12 week exercise programme and the other half continuing with their normal care. The investigators will use detailed MRI scans to assess patient's hearts and blood vessels at the start and end of the study. The investigators will also assess changes in physical function, exercise capacity, blood markers of heart disease, changes in body type and quality of life measures assessed with questionnaires.

Immune Monitoring of Prevalent Kidney Transplant Recipients Using Torque Teno Virus: A Single-Center, Prospective Cohort Study

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) suffer from immunosuppression-related adverse events (iRAEs), such as infections and malignancy from chronic immunosuppression exposure but are also at risk of graft loss from rejection with under-immunosuppression. Biomarkers that predict both iRAEs and rejection and allow individualisation of immunosuppression exposure are lacking. While plasma viral DNA levels of Torque Teno Virus (TTV), a widely prevalent, non-pathogenic virus, have been shown to predict both iRAE and rejection in incident KTRs within 1 year after transplant, its role for prevalent KTRs on stable immunosuppression is unclear. The investigators hypothesise that plasma TTV levels can predict iRAEs and rejection in KTRs on stable immunosuppression and propose a pilot study to pursue three specific aims: (1) To determine the TTV levels and its relationship with clinical factors affecting the 'net state of immunosuppression' in prevalent KTRs. (2) To analyse the prognostic value of TTV levels for iRAEs and rejection in prevalent KTRs. (3) To compare the prognostic performance of TTV levels to commonly available biomarkers and composite prognostic scores. The investigators seek pursue these aims by performing a single-centre, prospective, observational cohort study of 172 KTRs on stable immunosuppression for more than 3 months. TTV levels will be measured, using the TTV R-GENE® kit, upon recruitment and when kidney allograft biopsies are performed. Subjects will be monitored for iRAEs and rejection for at least 12 months. The study will provide data on the distribution of TTV levels in a prevalent cohort of KTRs and analyse its relationship with clinical factors and important clinical outcomes. If the study indicates that TTV may be predictive of iRAEs and rejection, the investigators aim to conduct further studies including interventional studies using TTV levels to guide immunosuppression. Ultimately, the investigators aim to use TTV as a biomarker to optimise long-term immunosuppression exposure, reduce the risk of iRAEs without increase in rejection, and improve long-term outcomes for KTRs.

The Comparison Between Ringer Lactate Solution and Normal Saline With Dextrose Water in Post-Operative Period of Kidney Transplantation

This is a randomized controlled pragmatic clinical trial. We aim to evaluate the effect of Ringer lactate solution (RLS) and normal saline solution (NSS) with dextrose water (D5W) on the electrolyte abnormality of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) during the first post-operative week. The problem with using NSS with or without D5W as a standard replacement fluid is the hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis which might compromise the kidney allograft function. A total 60 KTR will be enrolled and randomized to receive either RLS or NSS with D5W. The primary outcome is serum bicarbonate level at day 5 after transplantation. Secondary outcomes include the serum potassium, serum sodium, serum chloride, cytokine panel, and the incidence of delayed graft function.

Pulse Wave Velocity, Tacrolimus Time in Therapeutic Range and CV in African American Kidney Transplants

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the pulse wave velocity and vascular compliance measurements at the beginning and the end of the study while the participants are taking either extended release tacrolimus tablets (known by brand name Envarsus XR®, and also referred to as LCPT in this study) given once-daily each morning after transplantation or immediate release tacrolimus capsules (also known by brand name Prograf® or abbreviation IR-TAC in this study) that are administered twice-daily 12 hours apart after kidney transplantation. Pulse wave velocity and vascular compliance measurements are two non-invasive tests that are used to evaluate how well the blood vessels adapt to each heartbeat. The secondary purpose is to look at the effectiveness and safety of LCPT given once-daily compared to IR-TAC given twice-daily 12 hours apart after kidney transplantation.

The EFfect of FinErenone in Kidney TransplantiOn Recipients: The EFFEKTOR Study

EFFEKTOR is a vanguard, multicenter, phase 2 randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial to determine the feasibility, tolerability, safety, and efficacy of finerenone in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). One hundred fifty (150) KTRs will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio of finerenone to placebo, with two embedded substudies: (i) a kidney biopsy substudy in 50 participants who undergo a research kidney biopsy prior to randomization and at the end of active treatment; and (ii) a functional MRI (fMRI) substudy in 50 participants who undergo fMRI prior to randomization and at the end of active treatment.

Dietary Intervention to Improve Kidney Transplant Outcomes

Randomized controlled trial of a curriculum intervention teaching patients to eat a whole-food plant-based dietary pattern versus standard of care in kidney transplant recipients within the first few months of transplant

Kidney Transplant Preemptive Therapy or Prophylaxis for CMV Prevention in D+R Recipients

This is a prospective, randomized multicenter trial of preemptive therapy (PET) vs. antiviral prophylaxis (AP) for prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in adult D+R- kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Patients meeting study eligibility criteria and who have provided informed consent will be randomized (1:1) within 7 days of transplant to receive, in an open label design, either AP with valganciclovir 900 mg orally once daily or letermovir 480 mg orally once daily \[both dose adjusted per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label\] for 200 days post-transplant), or PET (central lab weekly plasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) monitoring for CMV deoxyribonucleic acidemia (DNAemia)) for 100 days post-transplant, with oral valganciclovir 900mg orally twice daily (or renally dosed per FDA label) at onset of CMV DNAemia at any level and continued until plasma CMV DNAemia is negative or below the level of quantitation in two consecutive weekly plasma samples. Study participants will be followed for pre-specified outcomes (clinical, laboratory, immunologic, safety) until withdrawal, death, or study closure, up to a maximum of 5.5 years post-transplant. Approximately 360 participants (180 participants in each group) will be randomized into the study. Estimated Time to Complete Enrollment: 4 years

De-novo Initiation of Letermovir vs Valganciclovir for Cytomegalovirus Prophylaxis in AA Kidney Transplant Recipients

This study is being done to compare the effectiveness of de novo Letermovir versus valganciclovir in preventing the development of cytomegalovirus viremia or symptomatic disease in African American kidney transplant recipients within the first year after transplantation. There are two arms in the study: Arm 1: Prophylaxis: This group includes freshly transplanted high risk (CMV D+/R-) African American Kidney recipients who will be on prophylactic Letermovir for 6 month. Arm 2: Prophylaxis: This group includes high-risk African American kidney transplant recipients who had already completed the 6 month prophylactic course with the standard of care Valganciclovir.

Immune Registry for BK in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation (KT) is the best treatment modality available to date for patients with advanced kidney disease and the success of KT is dependent on maintaining a selective intricate balance between the risk of rejection and infections in KT recipients. BK virus is an important clinical infection affecting the post-transplant outcomes in KT recipients. BK nephropathy can affect 8-15% of patients after KT causing acute kidney injury, increased risk of rejection and fibrosis leading to additional hospital stays, increasing overall health care cost burden, and in some cases graft loss. The exact pathogenesis and treatment options for BK nephropathy are not clearly understood. It is debatable whether BK nephropathy is a full fledge donor-derived infection or reactivation of the recipient's latent infection. Irrespective of etiology, the common consensus is that treatment of BK virus infection depends on the selective restoration of host immune responses and balancing the risk of rejection vs worsening of infection.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment For Kidney Transplantation - Utility of Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography in the Assessment of Patients Awaiting Kidney Transplantation

Cardiovascular disease (for example, heart attack, stroke, heart failure) is the commonest complication of kidney failure. Kidney transplantation reduces cardiovascular risk but cardiovascular disease remains the commonest cause of death in patients following transplantation. Current strategies to assess patient's cardiovascular risk prior to kidney transplantation do not identify those at highest risk and do not improve outcomes. This study will use a heart scan known as computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) to see whether this scan can identify patients at highest risk of future cardiovascular disease prior to transplantation. Studies have shown it is able to do this in patients with normal kidney function. The aim of this study is to develop CTCA as an effective tool to risk stratify patients prior to kidney transplantation.

ECP-DL Cell Infusion for Induction in Living Donor Kidney (LDK) Transplants

This is a phase 1 trial, 36 month duration for subjects with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The objectives of the trail are1) Determine the safety of ECP-DL cell infusion in living donor renal transplant recipients. 2) Determine rates of graft rejection and compare to historical controls. One week prior to planned LDK transplant the donor and recipient pair will be seen for ECP-DL preparation and infusion. Donors will undergo one single unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell collection using the THERAKOS® CELLEX® Photopheresis System; the cell product will then undergo ECP treatment to make ECP-DL, which will then be infused into the recipient. One week later, recipients (n=12) will undergo LDK transplant using standard of care maintenance immunosuppression without antibody induction therapy. Subsequent patients will receive cell infusions in escalating cell doses. A minimum of two months will be used as an interval between ECP-DL treatment in each tier. A staggered approach for moving to the next tier will be employed waiting no less than two months to ensure absence of adverse events using the following tier dosing schema: Tier 1: 0.5 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Tier 2: 1 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Tier 3: 2 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Following transplant, LDK recipients will undergo ECP using the Therakos system on two consecutive days per month for 6 months (12 treatments). Peripheral IV access will be used whenever possible.

Use of CGM in Kidney Transplant Recipients

The investigators want to study the impact CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) has on patients glycemic control as determined by time in range (TIR 70-180 mg/dL) in the Diabetic Kidney Transplant population.

Strategic Help With Immunoglobulin to Enhance Protect Against Late Disease (CMV)

This study is being done to find out if administering CytoGam® after the end of standardly prescribed preventive antiviral treatment can help transplant recipients with a high risk for developing late CMV disease after a liver and/or kidney transplant.

Renal Ex Vivo Warm Advanced Resuscitation Through Machine Perfusion

The REWARM study is a randomized controlled clinical efficacy study, with primary outcome renal function 12 months after transplantation of kidneys recovered from deceased donors aged 50 years or older. Prior to transplantation, kidney grafts in the intervention group will receive 6 hours of NMP, following standard HMP and kidneys in the control group will only receive standard treatment, being HMP. It is a multi-center trial. Given the total annual 50+ deceased donor kidney transplantation volume of the three participating transplant centers combined, inclusions in the study are expected to last 2.5-3 years, aiming for a total of 120 patients in each of the two arms (240 patients total).

A Study to Evaluate Preemptive Therapy in Hepatitis C (HCV) Organ Transplant Recipients

This study is being done to determine the effectiveness of using a combination of two different drugs in preventing the transmission of HCV from a HCV positive donor to a HCV negative solid organ recipient.

Highly Suppressive Treg in Delayed and Slow Graft Function After Kidney Transplantation

Delayed/slow graft function is the most common complication after kidney transplantation with an incidence over 20% and is the result of ischemia-reperfusion injury. The increased use of marginal kidney grafts to palliate the organ shortage is leading to a continued rise in the incidence of delayed/slow graft function. Delayed/slow graft function, however, is associated with an increased risk of acute rejection and graft failure. There are currently no clinically accepted biomarkers and no specific treatments for delayed/slow graft function. Regulatory T cells are protective in ischemia-reperfusion injury and rejection by suppressing pathologic immune responses. We hypothesize that the pre-transplant measurement of highly suppressive regulatory T cell is an accurate biomarker for delayed/slow graft function and its immunologic consequences. Ultimately, marginal kidney graft allocation could be directed to regulatory T cell-robust recipients and regulatory T cell-directed therapies could decrease marginal kidney graft discards without increasing delayed/slow graft function or impacting outcomes.

Delayed Tolerance Through Mixed Chimerism

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of a bone marrow transplant after kidney transplant (from either a living or deceased donor). An investigational medication and other treatments will be given prior to and after the transplant to help protect the transplanted kidney from being attacked by the body's immune system

Study Investigating Whether Robot-assisted Surgery Can Reduce Surgical Complications Following Kidney Transplantation

The purpose of this study is to explore whether robot-assisted surgery can reduce 30-day surgical complications compared to open surgery in kidney transplantation. Participants are adult recipients of kidney transplantation. Upon entry into the trial participants will be randomly assigned eiher open kidney transplantation or robot-assisted kidney transplantation. The participants in both groups will be treated in accordance with up-to-date guidelines and care. Our hypothesis is that robot-assisted surgery can reduce vascular complications by 15% and/or major surgical complicatons by 20% within 30 days of kidney transplantation compared to open surgery.

CMVIG Prophylaxis in Belatacept Conversion Kidney Transplant Recipients

The purpose of this study is to study how CMVIG interacts with the body and to see if it might work to prevent kidney transplant patients from becoming infected with CMV.

MR-proADM as a Early Biomarker for DGF and AR in Kidney and Liver Transplantation

To define the sensibility and the specificity of increased levels of MR-proADM for early, non-invasive, diagnosis of AR and DGF after kidney and liver transplantation creating a predictive model for related complications after kidney and liver transplantation based on the pre-operative and post-operative levels of MR-proADM and by a machine learning process.