Research— Themes for Innovation— Regenerative medicine of tissues and organs— Transplantation Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine of tissues and organs
Regenerative Medicine

Transplantation Regenerative Medicine

LUMC is a leading center for transplantation. In this subtheme, we are building on a long and successful history of bone marrow and organ transplantation and strong transplant immunology expertise.

Regenerative Medicine researchers, in close collaboration with other themes (e.g., Immunity and Academic Pharma) are working together to achieve the following key goals: increase organ utilization and survival after transplantation, develop new strategies of targeted intervention in donors and recipients, and reduce mortality and morbidity of patients on the waitlist and post-transplant. The Regenerative Medicine researchers at LUMC’s Transplant Center have established robust national and international collaborations and partnerships to reach these goals.

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Regenerative Medicine researchers, in close collaboration with other themes (e.g., Immunity and Academic Pharma) are working together to achieve the following key goals: increase organ utilization and survival after transplantation, develop new strategies of targeted intervention in donors and recipients, and reduce mortality and morbidity of patients on the waitlist and post-transplant. The Regenerative Medicine researchers at LUMC’s Transplant Center have established robust national and international collaborations and partnerships to reach these goals.

This subtheme is divided into three core groups:

  1. optimized donor organs, tissues, and cells,
  2. monitor and tailor the immune response,
  3. improve outcomes and prolong survival. The following projects can be identified within these groups. 

Projects

Tissue engineering
Machine Perfusion Technologies
Ex-vivo Whole Organ Culture
Automated Islet Of Langerhans Isolation
Ischemia-reperfusion Injury and Repair
Immune Modulation, Drug Monitoring & Therapy Optimization
Allocation Strategies And Access To Transplantation
Reproductive Transplantion
Value-based Healthcare

Tissue engineering

As mentioned in the Regenerative Medicine subtheme, LUMC is dedicated to engineering kidneys using either whole organ scaffolds repopulated with hPSC derivatives in all relevant compartments or growing auxiliary kidney tissue from kidney organoids to (partially) replace kidney function.

Machine Perfusion Technologies

One additional contribution to donor organ shortage is the poor quality of the organs that become available for potential transplantation. At LUMC, researchers and clinicians are developing machine perfusion strategies and technologies for kidneys, liver, and pancreas to improve the quality and determine the immunogenicity of organs before transplantation. Understanding optimal machine perfusion characteristics, as well as the fate of organs on machine perfusion, is essential to subsequently investigate their potential for repair and/or improvement of these organs.

Ex-vivo Whole Organ Culture

A new whole organ culture system (WOCS) that allows for the longitudinal study of ex vivo processes has been developed. Kidneys in this system are vital and functional at room temperature for > 4 days, allowing recovery and regeneration from initial hypoxic injury. The kidney is an exceptionally active metabolizing organ. The perfusate can be modified according to metabolic needs using specific additives. Through continuous monitoring of the perfusate, knowledge of skewed metabolism helps to decide which metabolic substrates or inhibitors might benefit the return to metabolic homeostasis.

Automated Islet Of Langerhans Isolation

LUMC has developed the first fully automated device to isolate islets of Langerhans for transplantation purposes. This device is currently under further refinement and validation.

Ischemia-reperfusion Injury and Repair

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a complex phenomenon that affects the outcomes after transplantation. LUMC is committed to understanding the mechanisms that make up IRI to develop targeted therapies.

Immune Modulation, Drug Monitoring & Therapy Optimization

Transplant outcomes are also greatly influenced by the development of chronic rejection and the side effects of long-term immunosuppression. In collaboration with researchers of the Immunity and Academic Pharma Themes, Regenerative Medicine researchers are studying ways of creating novel, personalized strategies to limit chronic rejection and complications related to immunosuppression.

Allocation Strategies And Access To Transplantation

Access to organ transplantation is complex, with allocation strategies based on various factors, including medical urgency and optimal graft usage. LUMC is actively seeking to improve the efficiency and fairness of current allocation rules based on complex mathematical and statistical modeling.

Reproductive Transplantion

Potential loss of fertility is a very important consequence of cancer treatment and other serious diseases. In addition, various benign ovarian diseases and age-related fertility loss increase the number of requests for reproductive preservation options. LUMC is studying the effectiveness and safety of transplantation after ovarian tissue cryopreservation as well as the safety of oocyte donation in collaboration with the Immunity Theme.

Value-based Healthcare

There is a strong need for healthcare to be more efficient, effective, and accountable. LUMC Transplant Center, within the Regenerative Medicine Theme, is investigating and implementing new approaches to value-based healthcare. Dashboards that retrieve data from electronic patient records and (national) databases are being created and studied to improve (patient-reported) outcomes and cost-effectiveness. 

Contact

RegMedTheme@lumc.nl