Just Released - Transplantation - February Issue

This month the issue contains a valuable record of the variation in Liver hilar anatomy so crucial to splitting livers and for living donor liver transplantation. There is much to interest almost everyone in the field from much-needed data on kidney transplantation after In-situ regional normothermic perfusion, to important implications of allocation on Simultaneous Heart Kidney transplant outcomes. Clinical therapeutic trials are considered in an Editorial and the long-term data from the ALLEGRO trial are released. As Xenotransplantation becomes a clinical reality anew, the basis for consent is reconsidered. 3D Printing of livers, rethinking Banff coding, interrogating cell-cell interactions, bariatric surgery, delirium, ABOi kidney transplants, and imlifidase add to the month's essential reading.

Table of Contents

Around the World

Kenyan Policy on Organ Donation, Transfusion, and Transplantation: Implications for Africa and the Greater Transplant Community

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

Game Changer

Gaining Deeper Insights Into Mechanisms of T Cell–Mediated Acute Kidney Graft Injury

People in Transplantation

Gabriel M. Danovitch, MD, FRCP (Hon)

Meeting Report

The American Society of Transplant Surgeons Consensus Statement on Normothermic Regional Perfusion

Expert Insight

The Nuances of Hand Transplantation After Sepsis

Commentaries

Reviews

Original Basic Science

Original Basic Science—Liver

Original Clinical Science—General

Letters to the Editor

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In Memoriam - Arnold I. Caplan (1942-2024)

Arnold I. Caplan

Back To The Future: Dr. Arnold I. Caplan

It is with the highest degree of sadness that I write this brief memorial for my friend and admired colleague, Dr. Arnold I. Caplan of Cleveland, Ohio, who passed away at age 82, peacefully on January 10, 2024, with his loving family by his side.

Camillo Ricordi, CTRMS Founding President

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My first encounter with Arnold was in 1991, after he published “Mesenchymal Stem Cells (submitted for publication on September 17th 1990). This publication outlined in part the basis for Dr. Caplan’s receiving the 1990 Elisabeth Winston Lanier Award given by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons as part of the prestigious Kappa Delta Awards. In this historic article, you can appreciate that the entire MSC hypothesis and the Mesengenic Process diagram evolved from Dr. Caplan’s previous 20 years of study of bone and cartilage formation in the limbs of developing chick embryos, while he was also studying in-vivo limb development in mice and humans. While many others studied various aspects of skeletal progenitors, no one ever put together the lineage diagram as Dr. Caplan did in the late 1980s, because no one had a monoclonal antibody approach or data. Indeed, Dr. Caplan and collaborators had already isolated human MSCs and had isolated 3 specific monoclonal cell surface markers, called SH2, SH3, SH4 (these eventually were similar to CD105 and CD73 now considered signatures for hMSCs). Dr. Caplan and collaborators submitted 4 patents in 1990 which eventually served as the basis for starting Osiris, Inc. Eventually, Pittenger and other employees of Osiris repeated all of Dr. Caplan’s early work, cloned hMSCs and documented their multipotency. It was this paper, Dr. Caplan’s Kappa Delta Award and his published work on bone and cartilage which, together with his worldwide lectures, popularized MSCs. The fact that the procedures developed by Dr. Caplan and collaborators from the late 1980s still represent the gold standard of the MSC industry is proof of their widespread reproducibility and utility. I still remembered when I first read Dr. Caplan’s fascinating work which prompted me to invite him to give a plenary lecture at the 1st International Congress of the then neo-formed Cell Transplant Society, in Pittsburgh in 1992. The new science of Pericytes/Medicinal Signaling Cells/MSCs evolved from the expansion of this base technology. These findings subsequently converged with the identification of MSCs from every tissue and the clear documentation of the identity of pericytes with MSCs by Peault and collaborators. While the potential new clinical uses of MSCs continue to expand in experimental and clinical practice, hundreds of clinical trials will help distinguish hype from hope and those that eventually will become established clinical applications as per modern “evidence-based medicine” standards. However, it is also thanks to these innovative pilot clinical trials, in addition to basic science contributions, that the field of regenerative medicine and its applications will continue to evolve, despite the obstacles to innovation and the development of cures that are currently limiting translational research efforts in several countries. (adapted from Ricordi C. BACK TO THE FUTURE – Mesenchymal Stem Cells; CellR4 2013; 1 (2): e405)

Dr. Caplan was born on January 5, 1942 in Chicago, earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He joined Case Western Reserve University in 1969, where he steadily rose through the academic ranks, becoming a Professor in 1981 and dedicating an impressive 54 years to the institution.

A pivotal moment in his career came with the isolation of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow, establishing the conceptual and technical foundation for subsequent global studies. In 1992, he founded Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., commercializing the technology, which later lead to numerous clinical trials worldwide.

Recognized as the father of both basic science and clinical therapeutics of adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC’s), Dr. Caplan discovered the innate ability of MSC's to modulate the immune system; inhibit both programmed cell death and scar formation; to stimulate blood-vessel formation; and to promote the growth of tissue-specific stem cells. His work has impacted studies and treatment of various human diseases ranging from Multiple Sclerosis and Osteoarthritis to spinal cord injuries to cancer.

Dr. Caplan's warmth and mentorship touched the lives of countless others he trained—shaping the lives of over 150 researchers with his intellect and guidance. His passion extended to sharing his expertise through influential courses, fostering scientific collaboration globally. Honored with many awards including The Marshall R. Urist Award; The Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Case Western Reserve University Faculty Innovator Award. He has over 400 published papers and 20 patents. His contributions shaped the landscape of regenerative medicine.

Beyond the laboratory, Arnold was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, creating a legacy that extends far beyond scientific achievements. His love for cooking, walks, and deep, meaningful conversations (which often became debates) will be missed by many.

He leaves behind a tapestry of cherished memories, instilling values of love, wisdom, and warmth in the hearts of those who knew him.

Arnold I. Caplan is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Bonnie, his two children Aaron (Tami) Caplan and Rachel (David) Uram and six wonderful grandchildren, Josh, Andrew, and Brian Caplan and Lyla, Sam, and Bella Uram and his brother Herbert (Barbara) Caplan. He lives on through the countless lives touched by his pioneering work and unending love for family and friends (adapted from Arnold Caplan Obituary - Cleveland Heights, OH).

For all of us in the field of MSC and regenerative medicine, Arnold remains a distinguished scientist, a mentor, and a pioneer, who left an indelible mark on the field and in our lives, during an amazing career that spanned over five decades, gifting us memories, mentorship and friendship.

Rest In Peace, my friend, you will be greatly missed, but never forgotten, and when MSC treatments will become standard of care, they will have your name written all over them.

View Video from IPITA-IXA-CTRMS 2023

CTRMS Ricordi Lecture from the 2023 IPITA-IXA-CTRMS Joint Congress

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Transplantation Journal Highlights

Transplantation - Social Media Content

No Evidence of Progressive Proinflammatory Cytokine Storm in Brain-dead Organ Donors—A Time-course Analysis Using Clinical Samples

Solid organ transplantation is a cost-effective treatment for end-stage organ failure. Organ donation after brain death is an important source of transplanted organs. Data are limited on the effects of brain injury or donor management on grafts. The consensus view has been that brain death creates a progressively proinflammatory environment. We aimed to investigate time-course changes across a range of cytokines in a donation after brain death cohort of donors who died of intracranial hemorrhage without any other systemic source of inflammation.

Clinical Research in Renal Transplantation: A Bibliometric Perspective on a Half-century of Innovation and Progress

Groundbreaking biomedical research has transformed renal transplantation (RT) into a widespread clinical procedure that represents the mainstay of treatment for end-stage kidney failure today. Here, we aimed to provide a comprehensive bibliometric perspective on the last half-century of innovation in clinical RT.

Transplantation Direct - Social Media Content

Local Postoperative Graft Inflammation in Pancreas Transplant Patients With Early Graft Thrombosis

Graft thrombosis is the main cause of early graft loss following pancreas transplantation, and is more frequent in pancreas transplant alone (PTA) compared with simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) recipients. Ischemia-reperfusion injury during transplantation triggers a local thromboinflammatory response. We aimed to evaluate local graft inflammation and its potential association with early graft thrombosis.

Broadening Criteria for Donor Livers: Successful Liver Transplantation of 2 Donor Livers With Portal Venous Gas

Optimization in liver transplantation (LT) surgical techniques and posttransplantation care have resulted in improvement in outcomes over time.1 However, the application of LT to those in need is limited by availability of suitable deceased and living donors. Underutilization of the deceased organ donor resource may contribute to waiting list mortality. In 2021, the deceased donor rate in Australia was 16.4 per million and the liver transplant waiting list mortality was 4.9%.

TTS 2024 - Awards and Abstracts

Submitting an abstract to the TTS 2024 Congress offers a platform to showcase groundbreaking research, connect with global experts, and contribute to advancements in transplantation medicine, fostering collaboration and influencing the field's future direction.

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Submission Deadline: March 18, 2024.

The Medawar Prize

The award recognizes outstanding investigators whose contributions have had a profound influence on the field of organ transplantation. The Medawar Prize is universally considered to be commensurate with the most outstanding world prize for scientific achievement.

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Application Deadline: March 18, 2024.

TTS Thomas Starzl Innovation Award

The award recognizes individuals who, though advanced and original work, have contributed significantly to transplantation, thereby reflecting the spirit pioneered by Dr. Starzl.

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Application Deadline: March 18, 2024.

TTS Recognition Awards

These awards recognize individuals who have made a major international impact in the field of transplantation. The awards are given out at each International Congress of The Transplantation Society and carry a monetary award of USD $2,000 each.

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Application Deadline: March 18, 2024.

2024 Mentee-Mentor Awards

The Transplantation Society, in collaboration with National and International Societies acknowledges the contribution of basic science to the field of transplantation by offering Mentee-Mentor awards.