Topical formulation identified for prolonged graft survival in corneal transplants

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Also Included In: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 20 Aug 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Topical formulation identified for prolonged graft survival in corneal transplants

Argos Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies that modulate the immune system to treat cancer, infectious diseases, transplant rejection, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, has announced the publication of key findings on its soluble recombinant human CD83 protein (sCD83) in cornea transplants. The study, conducted in rodents, demonstrates that CD83 can modulate the immune system and promote graft survival.

The study, which was published in the August 15th print issue of the Journal of Immunology, is a follow on to previous heart and kidney transplant studies using systemic administration of sCD83 in rodents. The current study, however, demonstrated that topical administration in the form of eye drops prolonged graft survival in the high risk corneal transplant mouse model system.

"Our previous studies in rodent model systems of solid organ transplantation involved short-term systemic delivery of sCD83, however, this is the first study demonstrating graft survival benefit after topical application at the graft-host interface," said Charles Nicolette, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research and Development of Argos Therapeutics. "These results are very encouraging and reinforce our continued efforts to advance sCD83 into human clinical development. In some transplant settings, topical administration represents a relatively non-invasive alternative to systemic administration which may not only promote graft survival, but could possibly minimize long-term side effects such as those associated with chronic immunosuppressive drugs currently used."

More than 40,000 cornea transplants are performed per year in North America, with a one year graft survival rate of 90% and a 15 year survival rate of 55%. If the cornea was previously damaged due to chemical or thermal burns, herpes infections or transplant rejections, then the one-year survival rate of the graft drops to 50%. In past clinical studies, irreversible rejection is the largest cause of corneal graft failure in the majority of cases.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our transplants / organ donations section for the latest news on this subject.

Topical Application of Soluble CD83 Induces IDO-Mediated Immune Modulation, Increases Foxp3+ T Cells, and Prolongs Allogeneic Corneal Graft Survival

The Journal of Immunology, Published online July 12, 2013, doi: 10.4049/?jimmunol.1201531 and in print on August 15, 2013 vol. 191 no. 4 1965-1975

Felix Bock, Susanne Rössner, Jasmine Onderka, Matthias Lechmann, Maria Teresa Pallotta, Francesca Fallarino, Louis Boon, Charles Nicolette, Mark A. DeBenedette, Irina Y. Tcherepanova?, Ursula Grohmann, Alexander Steinkasserer, Claus Cursiefen and Elisabeth Zinser

Argos Therapeutics

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Therapeutics, Argos. "Topical formulation identified for prolonged graft survival in corneal transplants." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 20 Aug. 2013. Web.
20 Aug. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Topical formulation identified for prolonged graft survival in corneal transplants'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Teens' kidney transplants more likely to fail

Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Article Date: 30 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Teens' kidney transplants more likely to fail

Adolescents who have their first kidney transplant between 14 and 16 years of age could have a higher risk of transplant failure, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Florida, Gainesville, analyzed 168,809 patients between 1987 and 2010. All participants had their first kidney transplant and their ages ranged up to 55.

Data was analyzed from the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network Standard Transplant Analysis and Research Database.

The study population characteristics analyzed in the study included the recipients' sex, race and insurance type, and the donors' living vs deceased status, sex, health and their combined Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) match information.

Results of the study showed that patients aged between 14 and 16 years had the highest risk of graft loss of all age groups.

The researchers found that graft loss started at 1 year after the transplant was carried out, and increased at 3-, 5- and 10-year points.

The study also revealed that black adolescents have an even higher risk of graft failure, compared with non-black adolescents.

The study authors say that using age at transplant as the risk factor, there was a decreasing relative hazard of graft failure in different insurance groups.

The researchers found the following range, in order of highest to lowest, for graft failure risk:

Deceased donor - government insurance groupDeceased donor - private insurance groupLiving donor - government insurance groupLiving donor - private insurance group

They add that in the death-censored analysis, this order of risk was consistent from infancy to 55 years of age.

Additionally, the results showed that among 14-year-old patients, there was an increased death risk of 175% in the deceased donor-government insurance group, compared with the living donor-private insurance group.

The researchers conclude that comprehensive programs are needed for adolescent transplant recipients, as current medical literature "does not adequately describe the risks of graft failure among kidney transplant recipients by age."

They say: "The realization that this age group is at an increased risk of graft loss as they are becoming young adults should prompt providers to give specialized care and attention to these adolescents in the transition from pediatric to adult-focused care."

The researchers conclude:

"Implementing a structured health care transition preparation program from pediatric to adult-centered care in transplant centers may improve outcomes."

Written by Honor Whiteman

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our transplants / organ donations section for the latest news on this subject.

"Age-related kidney transplant outcomes health disparities amplified in adolescence," JAMA Internal Medicine, July 29, 2013.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Whiteman, Honor. "Teens' kidney transplants more likely to fail." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Jul. 2013. Web.
30 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Teens' kidney transplants more likely to fail'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here