LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 23, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research (NFCTR) today announced that a clinical trial collaboration it is helping to fund – between Dr. Suzanne Ildstad at the University of Louisville and Dr. Joseph Leventhal at Northwestern University – has shown early success in the ability to transplant kidneys without the need for anti-rejection medication, even when donors and recipients are mismatched.
Based on the discoveries of Dr. Ildstad, Director of the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Louisville, the treatment involves a "mini" bone marrow transplant that creates a twin immune system between donor and recipient.
Dr. Ildstad is internationally known for her discovery of a graft "facilitating" cell that allows bone marrow stem cells to be transplanted from one person to another without life-threatening rejection. The ability to safely transplant small amounts of the donor's bone marrow in addition to the donor's kidney creates a "twin" immune system that allows the recipient's body to recognize the donated organ as self, rather than foreign - dramatically reducing or eliminating entirely the need for anti-rejection drugs.
In a recent Louisville Courier-Journal article (February 21, 2010), Dr. Joseph Leventhal, Director of the Living Donor Renal Transplant Program at Northwestern University, states that clinical trials outcomes "are very promising." The success of ongoing clinical trials "… would radically transform transplants by eliminating the need for immunosuppressive drugs," he added.
The possible negative side effects of long-term immunosuppressive (anti-rejection) medication include increased risk of cancer and life-threatening infection. Researchers at Northwestern University plan to expand clinical trials with Dr. Ildstad's research to include a number of other conditions and diseases that may also benefit from the ability to transplant bone marrow safely.
Dr. Ildstad's work has generated continuous funding to the University of Louisville from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research (NFCTR).
"We are extremely encouraged by this exciting research," states Dr. Paula Grisanti, Chair of NFCTR, "and by the progress being made to transplant organs without the need for life-long immunosuppressive medication."
"The platform ability of Dr. Ildstad's discoveries to allow for drug-free organ transplants... even when donors and recipients are mismatched... would profoundly impact the field of organ transplantation and directly affect hundreds of thousands of people worldwide," adds Dr. Grisanti. "Healthcare costs would likewise be reduced by tens of millions of dollars."
About the National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research (NFCTR)
Formed in 2005, the National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research (NFCTR) was established to support peer-reviewed research and early stage clinical trials in the field of adult stem cell transplantation. Adult stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of a large number of diseases and conditions affecting people worldwide. The NFCTR funds research in a number of strong academic settings and supports both collaboration and information sharing wherever possible. Through the funding of these collaborations, the NFCTR hopes to create stronger opportunities for advancements in the field. For more information, visit www.nfctr.org or call (502) 379-8544.
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