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Kidney Transplant Program

Research

Mayo Clinic scientists, doctors and surgeons develop kidney transplant insights and innovations that make transplants safer and available to more people. They conduct laboratory studies, clinical trials and other research on many aspects of transplantation. They often collaborate with colleagues nationally and overseas, sharing their insights to improve care for people everywhere:

  • Desensitization. Mayo Clinic kidney experts (nephrologists) were part of a national study that developed a procedure to alter people's immune systems so that they can accept kidneys from any donor. For some, this procedure — called desensitization — means less time waiting for an acceptable match and less time on dialysis.

  • Multiorgan advances. Mayo's kidney and diabetes experts are part of an international study to develop better methods for doing pancreas and kidney transplants together, improving outcomes for people with kidney failure due to complications of diabetes.

    And in another recent multiorgan research study, Mayo Clinic scientists found long-term benefits to the kidney in simultaneous liver-kidney transplant.

  • Paired donations. Mayo experts have assessed patient outcomes of the clinic's three-site kidney paired-donor program, improving this important and evolving transplant option.
  • Anti-rejection pioneers. And Mayo Clinic researchers were among the first to develop treatments to counteract antibodies to prevent rejection of a donor kidney with an incompatible blood type.

Read more about the many kidney transplant research studies supported by the Transplant Research Center.

Kidney transplant surgery

Kidney transplant surgeons work with a multidisciplinary team to perform complex procedures and employ research advances.

Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic authors on kidney transplantation on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

Research Profiles

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Clinical trialsThe Mayo Clinic experience & patient stories
Feb. 20, 2019
References
  1. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. http://www.srtr.org/default.aspx. Accessed April 7, 2016.
  2. U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News Best Hospitals 2015-16. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings. Accessed Feb. 22, 2016.
  3. Orandi BJ, et al. Kidney transplants from incompatible live donors. New England Journal of Medicine. 2016;374:940.
  4. Riggin EA. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 5, 2016.
  5. Schinstock CA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 18, 2014.
  6. Lallas CD, et al. The development of a laparoscopic donor nephrectomy program in a de novo renal transplant program: Evolution of technique and results in over 200 cases. Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 2006;10:135.
  7. Mai ML (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. April 26, 2016.
  8. Stulak JM, et al. Combined heart and abdominal organ transplantation: Excellent outcomes gained from a unique experience. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 2014;33:S278.
  9. Li H, et al. Assessing the efficacy of kidney paired donation — Performance of an integrated three-site program. Transplantation. 2014;98:300.
  10. Cornell LD, et al. Positive crossmatch kidney transplant recipients treated with eculizumab: Outcomes beyond 1 year. American Journal of Transplantation. 2015;15:1293.
  11. Shapiro R, et al. Benefits and complications of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 11, 2016.
  12. Polycystic kidney disease. National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/polycystic/. Accessed March 16, 2016.
  13. Raichlin E, et al. Combined heart and kidney transplantation provides an excellent survival and decreases risk of cardiac cellular rejection and coronary allograft vasculopathy. Transplantation Proceedings. 2011;43:1871.
  14. Heilman RL, et al. Steroid avoidance immunosuppression in low-risk kidney transplant recipients. Transplantation Proceedings. 2005;37:1785.
  15. Jay CL, et al. Reassessing preemptive kidney transplantation in the United States: Are we making progress? Transplantation. 20165;100:1120. http://www.transplantjournal.com. Accessed April 6, 2016.
  16. Bentall A, et al. Five-year outcomes in living donor kidney transplants with a positive crossmatch. American Journal of Transplantation. 2013;13:76.
  17. Prieto M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 11, 2016.
  18. Dharnidharka VR, et al. Kidney transplantation in children. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014;371:549.
  19. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Your child's kidney transplant. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2016.
  20. Kidney transplant team describes current work. Mayovox. 1967;18:24.
  21. Kudva YC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 14, 2016.
  22. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Kidney transplant. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2013.
  23. Rossi AP, et al. Evaluation of the potential renal transplant recipient. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 6, 2016.
  24. Cramer CH II (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 27, 2016.
  25. Li H, et al. The limits of paired donation — Who doesn't get transplanted? American Journal of Transplantation. 2013;13(suppl 5). http://www.atcmeetingsabstracts.com/abstract/limits-of-paired-donation-who-doesn’t-get-transplanted-the/. Accessed April 27, 2016.
  26. Crespo HS, et al. Kidney transplantation in the septuagenarian. American Journal of Transplantation. 2015;15(suppl 3). http://www.atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/kidney-transplantation-in-the-septuagenarian/. Accessed April 27, 2016.
  27. Taner T, et al. Decreased chronic cellular and antibody-mediated injury in the kidney following simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation. Kidney International. 2016:89:909.

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Kidney Transplant Program

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