All articles tagged with #transplantation
Researchers at the ISSCR 2026 meeting report a first-in-human approach using hypoimmune, allogeneic insulin-producing cells that may persist and function without lifelong immunosuppression, potentially moving cell replacement therapies for type 1 diabetes toward a functional cure; durability and scalability remain key questions.
Stanford researchers cured type-1 diabetes in mice for six months using a dual transplant of pancreatic islet cells and donor hematopoietic stem cells to create a hybrid immune system, eliminating the need for insulin or immune-suppressing drugs. In the study, 19 of 19 treated mice remained diabetes-free and 9 of 9 long-standing diabetics were cured, though translating the approach to humans will require overcoming donor cell sourcing and scaling challenges.
Scientists transplanted human brain organoids into developing rat embryos, enabling vascularization and functional integration that allowed the human cells to respond to stimuli and influence a rat’s behavior — a breakthrough for human-brain models, but raising ethical questions about consciousness, donor consent, and animal welfare.
A groundbreaking study demonstrates the successful preservation of pig hearts for over 24 hours using normothermic ex-vivo heart perfusion (NEHP), potentially revolutionizing heart transplantation by extending the viability period beyond the current six-hour window. By incorporating techniques like hemofiltration, plasma exchange, and intermittent left atrial perfusion, this research could increase the donor heart pool and improve logistics in heart transplantation, offering hope for more hearts to be available for those in need.
Oxford University organized training sessions for Chinese transplant doctors, including those accused of illegal organ harvesting, despite warnings about collaborating with the Chinese transplant sector due to widespread allegations of harvesting organs from political prisoners and Falun Gong practitioners. Concerns have been raised about inadvertent complicity in organ harvesting, and the involvement of senior NHS clinicians in the training programmes. The Chinese Communist Party's influence on international medical collaborations and the lack of transparency around organ sourcing in China have raised global concerns about unethical conduct in organ donation and transplantation.
Scientists have utilized nanotechnology to develop a 3D scaffold that supports the growth of healthy retinal cells, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. By using electrospinning technology and treating the scaffold with the steroid fluocinolone acetonide, researchers have enhanced the resilience and growth of retinal pigment epithelial cells, offering a promising approach for the development of ocular tissue transplantation. This breakthrough could have significant implications for the treatment of vision loss caused by AMD.
Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig's heart into a second patient with terminal heart disease. The first patient who received a pig heart died after two months, but the organ functioned well with no signs of acute organ rejection. The second patient, a Navy veteran, underwent the transplant surgery and is currently recovering well. The procedure offers hope to those facing a shortage of human donor organs, although it is still in the early stages of development. The pig heart used in the transplant underwent genetic modifications to reduce the risk of rejection by the human immune system.
Transplanted healthy glial cells have been found to outcompete and replace diseased or aged brain cells, offering potential for restoring normal brain function and treating neurodegenerative diseases. The study, conducted on humanized mouse brains, demonstrated that healthy glial cells can replace both diseased and aged cells, paving the way for clinical trials on diseases such as Huntington's, ALS, and genetic schizophrenia within the next two years.