Transplant
Immune monitoring in transplantation:
In collaboration with the department of hepatology, virology and immunology, we have established a programme of weekly immune monitoring of transplant recipients. This prospective study aims to identify T cell phenotypes of patients before and up until time of rejection (under immunosuppression) or viral reactivation (overimmunosuppression). This work will be extended into B cell immunology and markers of innate immunity with the anticipation that it should be possible to predict patients at risk of either rejection or infection.
Professor Hans Stauss (UCL), Dr Douglas Thorburn (UCL), Dr Mark Harber
REPAIR Study:
This multicentred, randomised controlled trial was established in collaboration with the department of pharmacology at UCL and the clinical trials unit at the school of tropical medicine. Funded by the MRC and NIHR this portfolio study commenced recruiting 400 live donor pairs in January 2010. The study aims to demonstrate the effect of remote ischaemia pre-conditioning in reducing ischaemia reperfusion injury and hopefully enhancing transplant function at one year in live donor transplants.
Professor Raymond McAlistair (UCL), Dr Mark Harber, Dr Alan Salama, Dr Peter Dupont, Dr Aisling O’Riordan.
Urinary tract infections in the transplant population:
This collaborative work aims to define the natural history of UTIs in transplant recipients, define the prevalence of subclinical infection and in particular the role and risk factors associated with intracellular colonisation of bladder cells. This work, although based in transplantation, serves as a useful model for study of urinary tract infection in the general population and seeks to identify the interaction between the innate immunity and specific organisms capable of intracellular colonisation.
Professor James Malone Lee (UCL), Dr Scott Wildman (Royal Vetinary College), Dr Mark Harber.
Tissue Predictors of Allograft Injury:
This on-going work involves the extraction of RNA from protocol renal transplant biopsies and seeks to identify, genes or proteins predisposing or protecting against chronic fibrosis.
Dr David Wheeler, Dr Ben Caplin, Mr Peter Veitch, Dr Jill Norman, Professor Alec Howie (UCL).
CMV and EBV infection and reactivation in transplantation:
In collaboration with the departments of virology and hepatology we have completed a study of CMV vaccination in potential transplant recipients. This unique study has demonstrated the safety and immunological efficacy of pre-emptive CMV vaccination in this group. In addition to this work there are on-going studies addressing the natural history of CMV and EBV viral infections in transplant patients along with optimum treatment regimens.
Professor Paul Griffiths UCL, Dr Tanzina Haque UCL, Dr Gareth Jones, Dr David Wheeler, Dr Aisling O’Riordan, Dr Mark Harber.
Islet cell transplantation:
We have established a clinical pancreatic islet cell transplantation program within the Centre and act as part of the UK Islet Tranplant Consortium funded by Diabetes UK. This team also works on a research program that explores ways of improving islet survival after transplantation with the goal of improving transplant efficiency and efficacy. On-going work examines the mechanisms of revascularisation of transplanted islets and the role of hypoxic injury.
Dr Gareth Jones, Professor S Powis, Dr A Agrawal, Dr. P Kooner, Dr A Elsadig, Dr A Kumar, Dr Morris Muzyamba
