Hot Off The Press

RECENT PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED BY TTS EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Reviewed and edited by Enver Akalin, M.D.

TTS Educational Committee started weekly Hot Off the Press in April 2020 after COVID-19 pandemic to review important articles related to COVID-19 and transplantation. The aim was to inform the TTS members important publications as early as possible and this initiate has received good feedback. We plan to continue New Hot Off The Press to cover various other topics on a weekly basis and pick up the important manuscripts published in high impact journals.

Modulation of Monocyte Response by Microrna-15b/106a/374a During Antibody-mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplantation

Claire Tinel et al.
Transplantation November 04, 2022 doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004393

This study analyzed blood samples which were collected at the time of the 710 kidney allograft biopsies at 4 European transplant centers. Messenger RNA and microRNA profiling analyses were performed. Compared with samples with no antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), 14 microRNAs were significantly decreased in ABMR samples. Among them, expression levels of microRNA-15b, microRNA-106a, and microRNA-374a gradually decreased with the severity of ABMR lesions. Gene ontology analyses of microRNA-15b/-106a/-374a suggested enrichment in myeloid-related pathways showing a specific origin from classical CD14+ monocytes. Human CD14+ monocytes were subjected to transduction by antago-microRNAs to mimic ABMR pathology. MicroRNA-15b/-106a/-374a impairment resulted in cellular activation with an increased expression of CD69, CRIM1, IPO7, and CAAP1, direct and common targets of the 3 microRNAs. In summary, this study documented that circulating microRNAs as markers and key players in ABMR and suggests monocyte involvement in this process.

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Humoral Response to the Fourth BNT162b2 Vaccination and Link Between the Fourth Dose, Omicron Infection, and Disease Severity in Renal Transplant Recipients

Tammy Hod et al.
Transplantation October 29, 2022 doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004383

This study investigated effectiveness of the fourth BNT162b2 vaccination in reducing the rate and severity of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant in 447 renal transplant recipients (RTRs). COVID-19 infection from December 1, 2021, to the end of March 2022 were considered to have been infected with the Omicron variant. In a subgroup of 74 RTRs, the humoral response to the fourth dose was analyzed. In 30 RTRs, microneutralization assays were performed to reveal the humoral response to wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variant isolates before and after the fourth dose. Of 447 RTRs, 144 (32.2%) were infected with the Omicron variant, with 71 (49.3%) of the infected RTRs having received the fourth vaccine dose. RTRs who did not receive the fourth dose before the infection had more serious illness. In a subgroup of 74 RTRs, the fourth dose elicited a positive humoral response in 94.6% (70/74), with a significant increase in geometric mean titer for receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G and neutralizing antibodies.

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New Survey - Using Social Media to Promote Cutting-Edge Research in Transplantation

Greetings,

Researchers from NYU Langone Health are conducting a research study titled Using Social Media to Promote Cutting-Edge Research in Transplantation. Dr. Macey Levan from the Departments of Surgery and Population Health at NYU Langone Health is the Principal Investigator leading this research. The purpose of this study is to learn how members of the Transplantation community use social media for professional purposes and how they see themselves using it in the future.

You qualify to complete this study if you fall under one of the following categories:

Subscribers to the weekly email of new published articles in the Transplantation or Transplantation Direct journals
Have submitted an article to the Transplantation or Transplantation Direct journals in the past 5 years
Member of The Transplantation Society (TTS)
Subscribers to newsletters from the TTS (Quarterly - Tribune, Weekly - Tribune Pulse)

Participation in this study is voluntary and will consist of completing an online survey about your thoughts on how you use social media for professional purposes and how you see yourself using it in the future. It will take about 5 minutes of your time.

If you are interested in participating, please click the link below to complete the survey:

https://nyumc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxvqr2xMkhhuyeW

If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please contact Dr. Levan at Macey.Levan@nyulangone.org.

This study has been reviewed by the NYU Langone Health Institutional Review Board (Study Number: 22-00681).

Sincerely,

The Editors and Communications
Offices of the Transplantation Journal
& Transplantation Society

Click here to take the survey!

Transplantation Updates

Transplantation - Highlighted Articles

Humoral and Cellular Response of Transplant Recipients to a Third Dose of mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

High rates of nonresponse to 2 doses of mRNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine have been reported in transplant recipients. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of a third dose in this population. However, efficacy remains unclear, as response rates vary across studies. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of a third dose of any mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in transplant recipients.

Predicting a Positive Antibody Response After 2 SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccines in Transplant Recipients: A Machine Learning Approach With External Validation

olid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are less likely to mount an antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. Understanding risk factors for impaired vaccine response can guide strategies for antibody testing and additional vaccine dose recommendations.

Transplantation - Week's Most Downloaded Paper

Recommended Treatment for Antibody-mediated Rejection After Kidney Transplantation: The 2019 Expert Consensus From the Transplantion Society Working Group

With the development of modern solid-phase assays to detect anti-HLA antibodies and a more precise histological classification, the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) has become more common and is a major cause of kidney graft loss. Currently, there are no approved therapies and treatment guidelines are based on low-level evidence. The number of prospective randomized trials for the treatment of AMR is small, and the lack of an accepted common standard for care has been an impediment to the development of new therapies. To help alleviate this, The Transplantation Society convened a meeting of international experts to develop a consensus as to what is appropriate treatment for active and chronic active AMR.

Transplantation Direct - Highlighted Tweet

Short Report: Race and Ethnicity Misclassification in Kidney Transplantation Research

Recently, the misuse of race as a biological variable, rather than a social construct, in biomedical research has received national attention for its contributions to medical bias. In national transplant registry data, bias may arise from measurement imprecision because of the collection of provider-perceived race rather than patients’ own self-report.

International Transplantation Science (ITS) Meeting

It is our announce to present the 3rd International Transplantation Science (ITS) Meeting, jointly organised by The Transplantation Society (TTS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT).

Visit our website for further details www.its2023.org

ITS 2023 will be held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada from April 30th to May 3rd, 2023. The meeting is intended to stimulate in-depth, cutting-edge discussions from leading experts addressing challenges that arise from connecting basic fundamental to translational science in transplantation.

Submit your abstract by December 20, 2022!

Upcoming Webinars

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND TO REGISTER

In Case You Missed it - Recent Past Webinar Presentation

TTS-ILTS Paired Transplant Centers Program - Apply Today!

Click here for details and to apply

Program Schedule

Deadline to Apply: January 1, 2023
Program Start Date: April 1, 2023

WHO

An experienced supporting transplant center (SC) in the developed world is paired with an emerging transplant center (EC) to facilitate vital multidisciplinary training and an exchange of knowledge and expertise.

WHY

The project aims to benefit both centers. The SC is involvedin global health, and promotes ethical and competent transplantation in regions of the world with limited or no current access to transplantation. The EC connects with a multidisciplinary team of experts in transplantation from a world-leading center.

GOAL

The ultimate goal is for Level 3 centers to graduate and become true local centers of excellence for regional training and support.

STEPS

The TTS-ILTS Paired Transplant Centers Program is bound by a limited budget which it cannot exceed. This budget is divided over all center pairs who receive a different financial allocation dependent on their level within the program.