Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Sciences and Oncology

New Immunogenetic Biomarkers that influence Graft  outcome in  Kidney and Liver Transplantation

The identification of the new immunogenetic biomarkers influencing graft outcome is one of the most important goals in solid organ transplantation. Even if it is clearly established that HLA matching plays a pivotal role in the outcome of transplant, both T and B cells reactivity are also important. T cells have a predominant role to play in allograft cell infiltration during acute cellular rejection and to orchestrate the immune responses to infections, while donor specific antibodies (DSA) play an important role in the outcome of any allograft. Immunogenetic biomarkers are designed to avoid the risk of immunosupressive (IS)-related adverse events including infectious complications, malignancies and metabolic disorders that make the major contribution to morbidity and mortality among transplanted patients. The aim is to determine whether some immunological and genetic parameters could identify an immunological profile of the transplanted patients, meaning that clinicians will be better equipped to decide which regime is the most effective, enabling them to better manage graft functions and side effects of therapy following kidney and liver transplant.