SP 4

Analysis of allo-specific immunity: effector and regulatory T-cells

Graft rejection remains the main reason of allograft loss in renal transplantation. Reliable markers assessing the risk, early detection, and prognosis of rejection as well as predicting the appropriate choice of immunosuppressive drug regimens are missing. Allograft-specific effector and regulatory T cells have been suggested to be involved in processes of allo-immunity providing (effector T cells) or preventing (regulatory T cells) transplant rejection. The analysis of these cell subsets have been hampered by methodological and technological gaps previously. Recently, we developed a method for the analysis of allospecific T cells by introducing HLA-specific stimulator cell bank and applied it for the cell analysis in patients undergoing renal transplantation.
Furthermore, we showed that IFNg-induced protein IP-10, a chemokine attracting different immune cells to the inflammation site, can predict acute rejection within 3 post transplant months. Based on our experience in cell and chemokine analysis, we will monitor these markers in follow up after kidney transplantation. The obtained results will be integrated into consortium database and used for statistical and modelling analysis.  During the second funding period (4. and 5. years), established model predicting individual patient risk will be used to perform a personalized immunosuppressive therapy study.

Keywords: Systems medicine, kidney transplantation, immunosuppressive