Fed: Kidney transplant failure mystery solved

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2003
Fed: Kidney transplant failure mystery solved

Australian researchers have become the first in the world to discover why successfully
transplanted kidneys burn out.

The Sydney research team found the anti-rejection drugs given to transplant recipients
significantly damage their new kidneys, leading to failure in the long term.

Transplanted kidneys generally last no longer than 10 or 20 years, forcing recipients
back onto dialysis and the organ transplant queue.

Until now, doctors have not known why they burn out.

A team from the Westmead Millennium Institute studied biopsies from 120 kidney transplant
recipients over several years to find out what happens to the organs at a cellular level.

As well as damage from rejection prevention drugs, the body's immune action against
the transplanted kidney leads to progressive scarring of the organ.

Study authors Dr JEREMY CHAPMAN and Dr BRIAN NANKIVELL say the challenge now is to
improve long term prospects for kidney transplants.





The study's being published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

AAP RTV kbw/rcg/rp

KEYWORD: KIDNEYS (SYDNEY)

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.