More than 440,000 solid organ transplants have been performed in the United States since the first kidney transplant in 1954. In 2008 alone, there were more than 25,000 transplants performed in this country. Unfortunately, more than 100,000 patients are currently on waiting lists for one or more life-saving organs. Some of those patients may wait months or years for a suitable donor to be found – others will not survive the wait.
Today, physicians routinely transplant hearts, kidneys, livers, lungs, the pancreas, intestine and abdominal wall to treat critically ill patients suffering from organ failure. Organ failure can be the result of a large variety of conditions, including inherited disorders, viruses, vascular disease and autoimmune disease.
The key to transplantation is finding a close genetic match between donor and recipient. Although all transplant patients will require lifelong anti-rejection drugs, closely matched donors and recipients provide the best chance of organ survival and may require less intense drug therapy.
Anti-rejection drugs suppress the recipient’s immune system to keep it from attacking the transplanted organ as an invader, and must be taken for life to prevent rejection. Suppressing the immune system long term, however, makes the recipient vulnerable to infections and cancers that would not otherwise be a problem. In addition, the drugs themselves have side effects ranging from osteoporosis, appearance changes, cardiovascular disease and kidney damage. The cost of drugs and treatment generally run between $25,000 and $45,000 per year for life.
Stem cell transplants hold great promise for the next big step in organ transplantation: the elimination of the need for anti-rejection medication.
Support Organ Donation
According to the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus service, the organs from one donor may help save as many as 50 people. In a message from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): "Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, normal lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. You have the power to change someone's world by being a donor."
Is Current Research Changing the Field of Transplantation?
A research collaboration currently being supported by the NFCTR transplants the donor’s stem cells at the same time the organ is being transplanted. This establishes a “twin” immune system in the recipient that allows the body to recognize the donated organ as its own, eliminating the need for anti-rejection medication. Significant milestones have already been met in this clinical trial protocol.
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Dr. Suzanne Ildstad |
Dr. Joseph Leventhal |
Dr. Kadiyala Ravindra |
Professor of Surgery, University of Louisville |
Associate Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University |
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University of Louisville |
Director, Institute of Cellular Therapeutics |
Director, Living Donor Renal Transplant Program |
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Jewish Hospital Distinguished Professor of Transplantation |
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Access Clinical Trial Information
Useful / Helpful links
United Network for Organ Sharing
www.unos.org
Web MD: Living with an Organ Transplant
www.webmd.com/
How Stuff Works: Organ Transplantation
www.health.howstuffworks.com