UTSA News

[Guest guest]

I thought since this is where Gwynne received her transplant, the group would find this interesting. They keep searching for better ways to prevent rejection.

Rodent lung transplants enable testing of anti-rejection aerosol Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2008

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Contact: Will SansomPhone:

E-mail: sansom@...SAN ANTONIO (March 6, 2008)—Just as some lung transplant patients celebrate the ability to breathe again, their immune systems begin to attack their new organ. This inflammatory autoimmune activity, called rejection, can lead to failure of the transplanted lungs. Of the people who receive new lungs each year, 30 percent to 40 percent will suffer an episode of rejection within a year of transplant.A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San , in collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin, is testing a novel nanoparticle aerosol therapy to prevent post-transplant rejection. The UT Health Science Center is home to one of the few research groups in the country studying solutions for this problem in a rodent model of lung transplant (rodent donor and recipient).Conventional treatment of rejection includes high doses of prednisone and other anti-inflammatory medications that can harm the kidneys. "It is thought that if the therapy is inhaled, most will go to the lung, alleviating rejection and protecting the kidneys," said B. , M.D., associate professor of surgery in the UT Health Science Center Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and principal investigator of the rodent lung transplant program. Going beyond existing therapeutic aerosols, the UT Austin College of Pharmacy developed a formulation in which the aerosol particles are the size of nanometers (one billionth of a meter). This may help the 80 percent of patients who cannot inhale existing aerosols, Dr. said.The chief collaborator from UT Austin is O. III, Ph.D., the & Centennial Professor of Pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy.UT Health Science Center personnel have performed more than 200 rodent lung transplants, with 80 percent of the recipients surviving two weeks post-operatively, considered long-term survival in this rodent model. -MORE-PAGE 2—Anti-rejection aerosol therapyDr. gives much of the credit for establishing the rodent lung transplant lab and perfecting the technique to Adam M. Cline, M.D., a research resident. Adham R. Saad, M.D., a third-year general surgery resident, works with Dr. Cline in the rodent lung transplant laboratory."Dr. Saad and I design the research under the division's tutelage," Dr. Cline said. "We enjoy performing these intricate surgeries in the hope that we can help lung transplant patients throughout the world."The inch-wide surgical field is visualized using a high-strength microscope."Studies such as this are very difficult to perform in human subjects, in part because only a few thousand lung transplants are done in the U.S. annually," said Clinton E. Baisden, M.D., professor and research director in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Post-treatment analysis shows the nanoparticle aerosol concentration is very high in the lungs while concentrations elsewhere are much lower, Dr. said. The therapy will soon be tested in strains of rats bred to experience reproducible rejection at one week after transplant.The Department of Medicine/Division of Pulmonary Diseases and the Department of Pathology at the UT Health Science Center provide key expertise toward the rodent lung transplant program, which is funded entirely through contributions from private benefactors."Several donors have made generous gifts to advance this important scientific effort," said Jay I. s, M.D., professor of medicine/pulmonary diseases at the UT Health Science Center and a key collaborator on the project. "More than one of the donors has received a second chance at life through our lung transplant program, which is offered in conjunction with University Hospital. Now these wonderful individuals have joined forces with the Health Science Center to make lives better for future transplant patients." The UT Health Science Center began its human lung transplant program in 1988 and performs more than two dozen transplants annually with high success rates and one of the shortest waiting times in the U.S.

[Guest guest]

Bruce,

Thanks for this article. Interesting.

Thanks also for posting the address for Gwynne!! I haven't heard any

more news. Probably won't hear now until Monday. I know the tricky

part is weaning off the vent, so hopefully, that will go nice and

smooth.

Leanne uip 1/03 Illinois

[Guest guest]

Bruce,

This therapy makes sense....even to my bloodless and oxygen deprived brain!

Hugs, Joyce D.Pulmonary Fibrosis 1997 Bronchiectasis 2004 Pulmonary Hypertension 2008 Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, etc) Rejected for Transplant 2006 .....I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands. Isaiah 49: 15-16

>> > I thought since this is where Gwynne received her transplant, the group> would find this interesting. They keep searching for better ways to> prevent rejection.> > Rodent lung transplants enable testing of anti-rejection aerosol> > Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2008> > [clear graphic] [clear graphic] [clear graphic] [clear graphic]> Printer Friendly Format> <http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/printversion.asp?newID=2676>> E-Mail to a Friend> Contact: Will Sansom> Phone: E-mail: sansom@...> > SAN ANTONIO (March 6, 2008)—Just as some lung transplant patients> celebrate the ability to breathe again, their immune systems begin to> attack their new organ.> > This inflammatory autoimmune activity, called rejection, can lead to> failure of the transplanted lungs. Of the people who receive new lungs> each year, 30 percent to 40 percent will suffer an episode of rejection> within a year of transplant.> > A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Health Science> Center at San , in collaboration with The University of Texas at> Austin, is testing a novel nanoparticle aerosol therapy to prevent> post-transplant rejection. The UT Health Science Center is home to one> of the few research groups in the country studying solutions for this> problem in a rodent model of lung transplant (rodent donor and> recipient).> > Conventional treatment of rejection includes high doses of prednisone> and other anti-inflammatory medications that can harm the kidneys.> "It is thought that if the therapy is inhaled, most will go to the> lung, alleviating rejection and protecting the kidneys," said > B. , M.D., associate professor of surgery in the UT Health> Science Center Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and principal> investigator of the rodent lung transplant program.> > Going beyond existing therapeutic aerosols, the UT Austin College of> Pharmacy developed a formulation in which the aerosol particles are the> size of nanometers (one billionth of a meter). This may help the 80> percent of patients who cannot inhale existing aerosols, Dr. > said.> > The chief collaborator from UT Austin is O. III, Ph.D.,> the & Centennial Professor of Pharmaceutics in the> College of Pharmacy.> UT Health Science Center personnel have performed more than 200 rodent> lung transplants, with 80 percent of the recipients surviving two weeks> post-operatively, considered long-term survival in this rodent model.> -MORE-> PAGE 2—Anti-rejection aerosol therapy> > Dr. gives much of the credit for establishing the rodent lung> transplant lab and perfecting the technique to Adam M. Cline, M.D., a> research resident. Adham R. Saad, M.D., a third-year general surgery> resident, works with Dr. Cline in the rodent lung transplant laboratory.> > "Dr. Saad and I design the research under the division's> tutelage," Dr. Cline said. "We enjoy performing these intricate> surgeries in the hope that we can help lung transplant patients> throughout the world."> The inch-wide surgical field is visualized using a high-strength> microscope.> > "Studies such as this are very difficult to perform in human> subjects, in part because only a few thousand lung transplants are done> in the U.S. annually," said Clinton E. Baisden, M.D., professor and> research director in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.> > Post-treatment analysis shows the nanoparticle aerosol concentration is> very high in the lungs while concentrations elsewhere are much lower,> Dr. said. The therapy will soon be tested in strains of rats> bred to experience reproducible rejection at one week after transplant.> > The Department of Medicine/Division of Pulmonary Diseases and the> Department of Pathology at the UT Health Science Center provide key> expertise toward the rodent lung transplant program, which is funded> entirely through contributions from private benefactors.> > "Several donors have made generous gifts to advance this important> scientific effort," said Jay I. s, M.D., professor of> medicine/pulmonary diseases at the UT Health Science Center and a key> collaborator on the project. "More than one of the donors has> received a second chance at life through our lung transplant program,> which is offered in conjunction with University Hospital. Now these> wonderful individuals have joined forces with the Health Science Center> to make lives better for future transplant patients."> > The UT Health Science Center began its human lung transplant program in> 1988 and performs more than two dozen transplants annually with high> success rates and one of the shortest waiting times in the U.S.>

[Guest guest]

Leanne

I just rejoice in the fact that she got her chance that she's worked so

hard for. I know the extra suffering she's had to go through to keep the

transplant option open, the extra work and testing, the mental anguish

and the extra work to get things in place to be able to get to San

very quickly. Sometimes we look ahead but the wishes foremost in

our mind are the next thing we hope for and, in that case, she's already

gotten her birthday wish-a lung, a transplant, a chance. She certainly

knows more than anyone there are no guarantees but I can only imagine

the blessing she feels just by being given new hope.

I also don't think she ever would have gotten this chance from UTSW,

although there is no way of knowing. But I do wish more transplant

centers would look at the practices of UTSA and have serious dialogue

over whether they should reevaluate some of their own practices.

>

> Bruce,

> Thanks for this article. Interesting.

>

> Thanks also for posting the address for Gwynne!! I haven't heard any

> more news. Probably won't hear now until Monday. I know the tricky

> part is weaning off the vent, so hopefully, that will go nice and

> smooth.

>

> Leanne uip 1/03 Illinois

>