About NIAID Transplant Studies

Organ transplantation is the treatment for end-stage organ failure when other therapies have failed or are not available, and when the person affected by organ failure is deemed likely to benefit from transplantation. The benefits of organ transplantation, as evidenced by prolonged survival and/or improved quality of life, have been clearly demonstrated for children and adults. However, normal life expectancy and health-related quality of life are rarely, if ever, restored by organ transplantation. Although 1-year survival after organ transplantation has improved markedly over the last 15 years, there has been little success in reversing the decline in long-term graft and patient survival in recipients of an organ transplant.

The goal of NIAID transplantation research is to improve the long-term success of organ transplantation by understanding the role the immune system plays in transplant success or failure. NIAID-supported investigators are working to selectively control or eliminate unwanted immune responses while maintaining the immune system's ability to fight infection and cancer. The aim is to modify the immune response in a way that will improve long-term transplant survival and reduce the need for broadly immunosuppressive medications, which can cause significant side effects.