AJT Highlights

Description: Hosts Roz and Dr. Sanchez-Fueyo are joined by Somaya Zahran to discuss the key articles of the May issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Somaya Zahran is a transplant nephrology fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. [03:06] Sensitization in organ transplantation: Assessment of Risk (STAR) 2025 meeting group report [08:55] The Banff 2024 Kidney Meeting Report: Rejection as a spectrum of phenotypes and focus on differential diagnostic reasoning [22:17] Normothermic versus hypothermic machine perfusion in kidney transplantation: A randomized controlled trial [27:36] Gene-edited pig cardiac xenotransplantation as a bridge to allotransplantation in infants: Progress in a pig-to-baboon model

In this specialty podcast, Dr. Justin Barr is joined by Dr. Thomas Schlich and Dr. Susan Lederer to discuss the early history of transplant surgery, with Dr. Schlich focusing on the mostly European efforts inaugurating solid organ transplant between 1880 and 1910 whilst Dr. Lederer concentrates on skin, blood, and corneal transplants in early 20th century America. Justin Barr practices abdominal transplant and advanced hepatobiliary surgery at the Ochsner Clinic Thomas Schlich is the James McGill Professor and Department Chair at McGill University Susan E. Lederer is the Ronald Numbers Professor of History of Medicine and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison References: The Origins of Organ Transplantation Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America

Description: Hosts Roz and Dr. Sanchez-Fueyo are joined by Juan Pablo Huidobro to discuss the key articles of the February issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Juan Pablo Huidobro is an Assistant Professor in Nephrology at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile [02:52] Evolving landscape of thrombotic microangiopathy in kidney transplant recipients in the post–C5 inhibitor era [13:22] Erythropoietin prolongs graft survival in mice by counteracting trained immunity [22:06] A new principle to attenuate ischemia reperfusion injury in kidney transplantation [33:14] Sustained allogeneic kidney graft operational tolerance despite discontinued conventional immunosuppression after CD19-CAR-T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder [40:15] Bloodstream Infection Subtypes and Characteristics Comparing Solid Organ Transplant and Non-Transplant Populations

AJT December 2025 Editors’ Picks Description: Hosts Roz and Dr. Sanchez-Fueyo are joined by Hannah Bahakel to discuss the key articles of the December issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Hannah Bahakel is a Clinical Immunodeficiency fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center [03:34] Higher vs standard mean arterial pressure target in the immediate postoperative period of liver transplantation to prevent acute kidney injury: A randomized clinical trial (LIVER-PAM) [13:51] Donor-derived cell-free DNA significantly improves rejection yield in kidney transplant biopsies [26:27] Tolerogenic lung allograft microenvironment suppresses pathogenic tissue remodeling following respiratory virus infection in mice [37:11] Therapeutic needs in solid organ transplant recipients: The American Society of Transplantation patient survey [48:19] Impact of kidney function on 200 days of antiviral prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus disease in cytomegalovirus-seronegative recipients of cytomegalovirus-seropositive donor kidneys: Post hoc analysis of a randomized, phase 3 trial of letermovir vs valganciclovir prophylaxis

AJT October 2025 Editors’ Picks Description: Hosts Roz and Dr. Sanchez-Fueyo are joined by Dr. Christina Haugen to discuss the key articles of the October issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Dr. Christina Haugen is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati. [03:28] Renal resistance trajectories during hypothermic machine perfusion in kidneys donated after circulatory death: Associations with donor characteristics and posttransplant outcomes—An analysis of COMPARE trial data [10:26] Donor-specific mesenchymal stem cell infusion in human and nonhuman primate kidney transplantation [19:21] Potential targeting of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor–formyl peptide receptor signaling to prevent recurrence in posttransplant primary podocytopathies [30:20] The relationship between cessation of brain and systemic circulation after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures [36:03] Pretransplant natural antibody levels identify a subset of deceased donor kidney transplant recipients that benefit from infliximab induction

In this Specialty Podcast, Dr. Dami Ko is joined by Dr. Katherine Rizzolo, and Dr. Leonela Villegas to discuss kidney transplantation for undocumented immigrants in the United States, particularly the challenges they face and ethical considerations. Dr. Dami Ko is an assistant professor at Northeastern University, specializing in post-transplant care and quality of life. Dr. Katherine Rizzolo is a nephrologist in Boston, MA. Dr. Leonela Villegas is a Pediatric Nephrologist at Hartford, CT References: Long-term impact of immigration status on outcomes in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. Successful pathways to liver transplant for undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants: A glaring inequity in transplant.

Hosts Roz and Alberto discuss the key articles of the July issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. [03:48] Liver transplantation for hepatitis D virus/hepatitis B virus coinfection in Italy: an intention-to-treat analysis of long-term outcomes [13:42] 10 degree C static storage of porcine donation after circulatory death livers improves biliary viability and mitigates ischemia-reperfusion injury [22:20] Fewer medullary pyramids in the living kidney donor are associated with graft failure in the recipient [33:35] Microvascular inflammation in kidney allografts: New directions for patient management MOMOT (Mouse Models in Transplant) articles: Can mouse kidney transplant models inform mechanisms of injury and acceptance in clinical kidney transplantation? Best practices in islet transplantation in mice

In this specialty podcast, Dr. Alissar El Chediak is joined by Dr. Jon Odorico and Dr. Ron Parsons to discuss the current state of pancreas transplantation, identify barriers and strategies for referral and candidate selection, and discuss solutions to address the decline in procedures. Alissar El Chediak, MD is a transplant nephrologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Jon Odorico, MD is a transplant surgeon at the University of Wisconsin. Ron Parsons, MD is a transplant surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania. References: Generating strategies for a national comeback in pancreas transplantation: A Delphi survey and US conference report

Host Roz is joined by Timucin Taner, MD, PhD and Dami Ko, PhD to discuss the key articles of the May issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Dr. Timucin Taner is a professor of surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Dr. Dami Ko is an assistant professor at the School of Nursing at Northeastern University. [02:51] Development and validation of the Neuro-Score: a specific scale to detect and monitor cognitive impairment in kidney or liver transplant recipients Editorial: Cognitive impairment after liver and kidney transplant: An easy way to check [14:16] Randomized trial investigating the utility of a liver tissue transcriptional biomarker in identifying adult liver transplant recipients not requiring maintenance immunosuppression [20:46] Donor-specific immune senescence as a candidate biomarker of operational tolerance following liver transplantation in adults: Results of a prospective, multicenter cohort study Editorial: Acquired immune tolerance 2.0 [29:10] Major histocompatibility complex and peptide specificity underpin CD8+ T cell direct alloresponse Editorial: Direct and indirect allorecognition—not so different after all?

Host Roz is joined by Ross Doyle, PhD to discuss the key articles of the March issue of American Journal of Transplantation. Dr. Ross Doyle is a consultant nephrologist at Mater Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. (Mentioned) A blood-based PT-LIFE (Pediatric Liver Transplantation-LIver Fibrosis Evaluation) biomarker panel for noninvasive evaluation of pediatric liver fibrosis after liver transplantation: A prospective derivation and validation study Editorial: Are we closer to abandoning protocol graft biopsies after pediatric liver transplantation? (Mentioned) Deceased donor urinary Dickkopf-3 associates with future allograft function following kidney transplantation [04:08] Cure models, survival probabilities, and solid organ transplantation for patients with colorectal cancer Editorial: When is it safe to transplant after cancer–adding data to the decision [11:05] Navigating challenges in recipient selection for end-chain kidneys [18:00] Severe ischemia-reperfusion injury induces epigenetic inactivation of LHX1 in kidney progenitor cells after kidney transplantation [28:31] The differential impact of early graft dysfunction in kidney donation after brain death and after circulatory death: Insights from the Dutch National Transplant Registry

Hosts Roz and Josh are joined by Sergio Acuna, MD to discuss the key articles of the January issue of American Journal of Transplantation. Dr. Sergio Acuna is a clinical instructor in abdominal transplant surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham [03:21] The dangerous precedent of censoring scientific dissemination [08:45] Long-term ex situ normothermic machine perfusion allows regeneration of human livers with severe bile duct injury Editorial: Time will tell: Employing long-term normothermic machine perfusion to gain new insight into bile duct regeneration [14:00] Probable antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplantation is a rare and challenging phenotype to define: Findings from a single-center study [19:54] The relationship of microvascular inflammation with antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplantation Editorial: Exploring microvascular inflammation and the spectrum of antibody-mediated rejection [25:56] Long-term persistence of seroprotection against measles following measles-mumps-rubella vaccination administered before and after pediatric liver transplantation [31:26] Detection of viral RNA and DNA and immune response following administration of live attenuated measles and varicella vaccines in children with chronic liver disease

Description: Hosts Roz and Josh are joined by Sharon Weeks Groh, MD to discuss the key articles of the November issue of American Journal of Transplantation. Dr. Sharon Weeks Groh is a transplant surgeon at Walter Reed [02:08] Robotic living donor hepatectomy is associated with superior outcomes for both the donor and the recipient compared to laparoscopic or open - A single center prospective registry study of 3,448 cases [09:34] Public Attitudes to Xenotransplantation: A National Survey in the United States [18:09] Non-clinical and clinical characterization of MAU868, a novel human-derived monoclonal neutralizing antibody targeting BK polyomavirus VP1 [25:52] Establishing targets for goal-directed anesthesia in renal transplantation: a cohort analysis of high-saliency surgical time-courses. Editorial: Intraoperative blood pressure management during kidney transplantation: grafts under pressure. [36:53] Why partial heart transplantation could be regulated as organ transplantation

Hosts Roz and Josh are joined by Alissar El Chediak, MD to discuss the key articles of the September issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. Alissar El Chediak, MD is a transplant nephrologist at UT Southwestern [02:55] – Liver Machine Perfusion Technology: Expanding the Donor Pool to Improve Access to Liver Transplantation [08:01] – Editorial: Machine perfusion and liver transplant center behavior: Answers or more questions? [11:01] - Obesity, Organ Failure, and Transplantation: A Review of the Role of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Transplant Candidates and Recipients. [18:48] – Virus Specific T Cell Therapy to Treat Refractory Viral infections in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients [25:08] - Third-party virus-specific T cells for the treatment of double-stranded DNA viral reactivation and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease after solid organ transplant [28:48] – Editorial: Virus-specific T-cell efficacy after solid organ transplantation: more questions than answers [34:05] - Successful BK virus–specific T cell therapy in a kidney transplant recipient with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy [37:50] - The prevalence of postacute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 in solid organ transplant recipients: Evaluation of risk in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative