TTS New Webinar Series
The Education Committee of TTS will be organizing six new webinars on the "trends and Challenges in Liver Transplantation". The series, organized by Sukru Emre, will host the first webinar on January 19. See details below.
Date and time: January 19th, 2018 2:00 PM EST (UTC-5 hours)
Topic: Antibody Mediated Rejection in Liver Transplantation Part I - Role of DSA's and Treatment Options
Description: Antibody mediated rejection (AMR) has become one of the hot topics in liver transplantation recently. In this webinar, world known experts in this topic will discuss the immunological, clinical aspects of AMR as well as available treatment options.
Format: Debate/Discussion
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Organizer: Professor Sukru Emre, MD Professor of Surgery (Transplant) and of Pediatrics, Yale University, USA |
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Moderator: Udeme D Ekong, MD, MPH Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology), Yale University, USA |
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Discussant: Laura J. Wozniak, MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UCLA, USA |
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Discussant: Jacqueline O'Leary, MD, MPH Medical Director of Research for the Baylor Simmons TransplantInstitute in Dallas, Texas, USA |
January 24, 2018 - Webinar
Quality Assessment of Kidneys for Transplantation – Truth or Dare
Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 12pm EST (9am San Francisco / 3pm Rio de Janeiro)
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Speaker: Professor Sandy Feng, MD, PhD Professor of Surgery in Residence Director, Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship University of California San Francisco |
Overview: The demand for kidney transplantation continues to rise inexorably as its life-saving and life-enhancing benefits are strongly established. The supply of kidneys remains sorely inadequate both in quantity and, very importantly, quality. These two factors combine to exert tremendous pressure to accomplish transplantation by aggressively utilizing all available deceased donor organs. This webinar will consider donor, recipient, transplant, and other relevant factors, as well as their potential interplay, that enter into the critical decision of whether to transplant or not to transplant.
IN THE NEWS
Nobel Prize Doctor Yamanaka: Stem Cell Progress 'Just the Beginning
January 8 - Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, 55, became more widely known after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012. Five years before that, however, in November 2007, he announced that he had generated human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells).
Shire's Late-Stage CMV Drug Wins FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation
The FDA granted Shire's Phase III-stage drug maribavir (SHP620) Breakthrough Therapy Designation for treating cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and related disease in transplant patients who are resistant or refractory to previous therapy.
In a turf battle for organs, a policy review rattles the national transplant system
January 3 - LA Times - The disparities stem from a principle that has always guided the national transplant system: local first. Most organs stay in the areas where they are donated, even if sicker patients are waiting elsewhere.
Heart-muscle patches made with human cells improve heart attack recovery
January 10 - MedicalXpress - Large, human cardiac-muscle patches created in the lab have been tested, for the first time, on large animals in a heart attack model. This clinically relevant approach showed that the patches significantly improved recovery from heart attack injury.
Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Livers May Help Reduce Transplant Times
January 10 - Specialty Pharmacy Times - Study shows that transplanting HCV-positive livers into HCV-negative patients and treating with new antivirals can reduce waiting time to transplant and improve overall life expectancy
Bangladesh - Human organ transplant bill passed, 3yrs jail for illegal trade
Jan. 9 - The Daily Star - Parliament today passed the Transplantation of Human Organs Bill, 2018 with a provision of 3 years of rigorous imprisonment or Tk 10 lakh fine or both for violation of the law in a bid to check the illegal trade of human organs.
FEATURED ARTICLE - Transplantation
Submitted by Dr Karen Keung, Editorial Fellow, Transplantation.
Plasma Exosomes From HLA-Sensitized Kidney Transplant Recipients Contain mRNA Transcripts Which Predict Development of Antibody-Mediated Rejection
Zhang H1, Huang E, Kahwaji J, et al.
Transplantation. 2017;101(10):2419–2428.
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles present in all types of biological fluid including blood; their molecular constituents have been shown to be potential biomarkers in disease. The measurement of mRNA transcripts from plasma exosomes in renal transplantation patients has not been previously described. In this study the authors evaluated the feasibility of quantifying mRNA expression of 21 preselected genes in plasma exosomes to predict antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in a renal transplant cohort. The study group (64 patients, 152 plasma samples) was divided into those who developed antibody-mediated or mixed rejection (AMR group), cell- mediated rejection (CMR group), and those with no rejection (desensitized (DES) and non-DES control groups). Samples collected within 1 month prior to the rejection episode were included. Significant increases in transcript expression of multiple genes was identified in the AMR group compared to other groups, as was a gene combination score calculated from 4 genes. This demonstrated the feasibility of quantifying mRNA transcript levels of various genes in plasma exosomes of renal transplant patients, and plasma exosomes as a potential source of biomarker discovery in rejection.
TTS 2018 Find&FIll the Gap Contest
LAST CHANCE - Deadline January 15.
We want you to contribute to the Congress by finding a gap in the congress program and submitting your own proposal to fill it. Submissions will be reviewed by the Program Committee and the top proposals will be voted on by the community. Winners will be part of the official program and be hosted in the TTS Innovation Studio in the Exhibit Hall.
Deadline Reminders
TTS Officer / Council Nominations - January 31, 2018
TTS is seeking nominations for three Officer positions that will be vacated in 2018: President-Elect, Vice President and Treasurer. In addition, five of the 12 Councilors-at-large will be changing.
Click here for to nominate someone today! (Requires login)
Medawar Prize Nominations - January 31, 2018
The Medawar Prize, named after Society co-founder Sir Peter Medawar, is recognized as the world's highest dedicated award for the most outstanding contributions in the field of transplantation.
Click here for to nominate someone today!
Recognition Award Nominations - January 31, 2018
The Transplantation Society bestows Honours and Awards to recognize individuals contributing to the field of transplantation through outstanding achievement (for basic scientists, clinicians and in developing countries), and mentorship and training. All members of TTS in good standing are eligible to make nominations and to be nominated for these Awards.
Click here for to nominate someone today!
Women in Transplantation Awards - January 31, 2018
The Women in Transplantation (WIT) Steering Committee have created the Woman Leader in Transplantation Award to recognize a woman who has helped further the field of transplantation through research, policies, leadership, initiatives or other regarded contributions. Also created by the WIT Steering Committee, the Unsung Hero Award will be presented to one woman who has had an extraordinary impact in transplantation through community service, volunteering, mentorship or other community based activity.
Click here for to nominate someone today!
Transplantation Science Awards - Deadline May 31, 2018
The Transplantation Science Committee together with The Transplantation Society and Transplantation are pleased to announce the best manuscripts published by the journal in 2017. Named after two pioneering giants, a selection committee that included editors of Transplantation, The Transplantation Society, in addition to members and chairs of the Transplantation Science Committee will select two winners amongst a very competitive group of publications.
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