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JUST RELEASED - Transplantation Journal - September 2025 Issue

In this issue of the journal, the international transplant community mourns the passing of Professor Frans Claas, with personal testimonials from Carla Baan, Kathryn Wood, Megan Sykes, Dave Roelen, Anat Tambur, Lori West, Marco Andreani, Dirk Ysebaert, Dirk Van Raemdonck, Sebastiaan Heidt, Lloyd D’orsogna, Marlies Reinders, Willem Weimar, Maarten Naesens, and Caner Süsal.

In addition, there is an update on the current status of liver transplant in Mexico; as well as many commentaries and reviews, most notably on patient selection for xenotransplant human clinical trials, unlocking miRNA therapeutics, and post–living liver donation diaphragmatic hernia.

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Spotlight - Transplantation Journal - Review and Interview

Watch or Listen to Podcast

The Relative Roles of Inflammation in Kidney Allotransplantation and Xenotransplantation

Ubaid, Muhammad Furqan; Ezzelarab, Mohamed B.; Cooper, David K.C.
The nature and severity of the inflammatory response influences the outcome of organ allotransplantation and xenotransplantation. In allotransplantation, the source of the allograft, for example, from a living, brain-dead, or circulatory death donor, influences the inflammatory response, as do such factors as the preexisting comorbidities and the length of the period of chronic kidney disease in the recipient and the management he/she has received. There is also inflammation associated with the transplant surgery, for example, as a result of ischemia-reperfusion injury. In xenotransplantation, inflammation associated with donor factors will be reduced and, as the patients will receive a pig graft at a much earlier stage of their chronic organ failure, the contribution of recipient factors should also be reduced. However, there is a well-documented systemic inflammatory response to the presence of a pig xenograft (probably associated with species molecular differences) that plays a role in activating the innate immune response. Indeed, there is a complex interaction between inflammation, coagulation dysfunction, and the innate and adaptive immune responses. Suppression of the inflammatory response, for example, by interleukin-6 receptor blockade, would appear to be beneficial after xenotransplantation. Several biomarkers of inflammation have been identified that may be valuable in assessing the response to therapy.
Read the Review

Kidney Transplant Fellowship and Transplant Centre Development Grants

Fellowship Training

The ISN and TTS join forces to support the training of young physicians from low resource areas receiving hands-on training at advanced host institutions to acquire state of-the-art experience in kidney transplantation.

Application Deadline: October 1

Click here for complete details

Sister Transplant Centers Program

The ISN-TTS Sister Transplant Centers Program is a joint partnership set up to create new kidney transplant centers and develop existing kidney transplant programs in emerging economies.

Application Deadline: October 15

Click here for complete details

Special IXA Feature

As part of the on-going collaboration between TTS and our official Sections, and in order to provide TTS members with an update on areas of the field represented by TTS Sections, content for this issue of the Pulse has been submitted by the International Xenotransplantation Association.

We are rapidly approaching the 18th Congress of the IXA in Geneva, taking place on September 30 – October 3, 2025!

The local organizing committee and the TTS meeting staff have done a superb job in attracting dozens of invited speakers and over 180 abstracts submitted to fill our exciting program. Our thanks for their hard work! In addition, we have many opportunities for casual interactions and lovely local hotels within walking distance from the lake! See also the YouTube interview recorded at WTC with IXA President Muhammad Mohiuddin.

Program Highlights

Advanced Technologies in Clinical Xenotransplantation:
Genetics and Multi-omics

Ethics-Economics-Regulation
with speakers from regulatory groups

Sessions on Coagulation, Complement, and Innate, Adaptive and Humoral immunity

Immunosuppression, New Drugs, and Immune Monitoring

Microbiology and Safety

Physiology and Compatibility

Clinical Trials Design

Numerous abstract sessions with expert moderators

Late breaking sessions and new achievements

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DETAILED PROGRAM

Changsha Communiqué

At the upcoming IXA Meeting in Geneva a conference is being organized by Wayne Hawthorne and the IXA Executive Committee to update the “Changsha Communiqué” on xenotransplantation. This document was originally developed to enhance the safety of clinical xenotransplantation as well as to guide development of scientifically sound and internationally consistent public policy, responsive to recent advancements in the field. The original document was developed by the IXA, TTS and WHO, during the WHO Global Consultation on Regulatory Requirements for Xenotransplantation Clinical Trials (WHO/HTP/EHT/CPR/2008.01).

This revision is a vital undertaking given recent progress in our field. The revised document will be constructed by seven international teams comprising 30 subject matter experts to reflect current global standards, regulatory expectations, and newer scientific data. Over the past 18 months, the IXA has worked to ensure that the revised Communiqué is comprehensive, evidence-based, and aligned with international best practices. The new document will be a globally authoritative and forward-looking resource for the IXA and the International Xenotransplantation community.

Exciting Progress

The field is excited by recent innovations in xenotransplantation, including introduction of source pig genetic modifications, novel immunosuppressive strategies, and open discussions of ethical and regulatory frameworks to support translation to the clinic. At WTC, we heard about planned clinical trials of porcine organs under FDA approved protocols. These early studies will clarify immunological challenges, metabolic incompatibilities or microbiological risks posed by porcine xenografts. Additional commercial biosecure swine breeding facilities are under development. These advances will be continued as we meet in Geneva at the end of this month.

This revision is a vital undertaking given recent progress in our field. The revised document will be constructed by seven international teams comprising 30 subject matter experts to reflect current global standards, regulatory expectations, and newer scientific data. Over the past 18 months, the IXA has worked to ensure that the revised Communiqué is comprehensive, evidence-based, and aligned with international best practices. The new document will be a globally authoritative and forward-looking resource for the IXA and the International Xenotransplantation community.

White Papers

In the same vein, IXA is dedicated to the safety of xenotransplantation – sharing best practices and research. A series of updating guidance documents have been completed, useful both for investigators and regulatory bodies in developing clinical trials and research programs. IXA has completed a series of “white papers” on topics in xenotransplantation recently published simultaneously in the journals of IXA and TTS, Xenotransplantation and Transplantation. These papers have been the subject of a joint TTS and IXA webinar – which was recorded and is available for your review on the following link. In addition, an ISHLT document on heart and lung xenotransplantation is under editorial review.

Among recent papers worth review:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TTS-IXA Presentation Page

Upcoming Webinar Presentations

Click here for details
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Transplantation Journal Highlights

Shaping the Future of Transplant Publishing: Apply for the Editorial Fellowship

The two-year editorial fellowship offers early-career transplant professionals a front-row seat to Transplantation and Transplantation Direct. Up to ten fellows will be selected from different countries and from diverse disciplines will gain hands-on experience in academic publishing, including peer review, manuscript decisions, and journal operations.

Fellows meet quarterly to discuss aspects of the editorial process, how to develop special sections and what’s required to write a Commentary or an Editorial on an accepted manuscript with high-topical interest to Transplantation and Transplantation Direct readers. This allows learning to critically review the manuscript under the mentorship of handling editors. Fellows will be paired with a mentor who has substantial experience and expertise in the editorial process and publishing in peer-reviewed, high-impact journals. They will be expected to attend journal calls, along with assisting the entire review process to make a final decision. Fellows are also invited to participate in at least one Transplantation/Transplantation Direct journal editorial face-to-face board meeting. Upon successful completion of the fellowship, Editorial fellows will become members of the journal’s editorial board.

We welcome early career professionals with a strong commitment to a career in Transplantation—particularly researchers and recent graduates of surgical or medical residencies, post-doctoral programs, or clinical fellowships.

The role of the Editorial Fellow is multi-faceted and involves:
  • Assist one of the Executive Editors (Clinical Science, Basic Science, Statistics, Liver, Special Features, Transplantation Direct).
  • Assist the Journals’ social media program including such activities as interviews with authors, conducting webinars, podcasts, and participating in the journal’s social media platforms (X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)
  • Create central figures of accepted papers
  • Scan literature for meaningful new articles to bring to attention through the journal highlights and game changer series
  • Attend scholarly meetings, write commentaries and editorials and special features under supervision of the editor
  • Quarterly video conference call between Fellows and the Director of the Editorial Fellows Program to discuss ongoing activities, offer recommendations for journal improvements, suggest new paper ideas, and strategize the dissemination of accepted articles.
  • The Fellowship is unpaid; however, Fellows will have complimentary online access to Transplantation and Transplantation Direct. All work is conducted online and by video conference calls. There is no physical editorial office. We anticipate the Fellow’s time commitment to be a maximum of 3-5 hours per week. The fellowship begins early 2026.
Skills:
  • Excellent writing ability
  • Strong communication skills – able to work with all levels of journal operations
  • Commitment to social media and enthusiasm for using it in the context of a medical journal
  • Flexibility in light of changing priorities
  • Ability to respect deadlines. The ability to carve out time in busy clinical and academic schedules is a skill that you will need to have or develop. We invite applications from interested candidates. Please submit your letter or video application with your CV to editorialoffice@journal.tts.org
Deadline for Applications: October 10th, 2025

Transplantation Journal - Social Media Content

SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Kidney transplant (KT) recipients experience high rates of cardiovascular disease, allograft dysfunction, and diabetes, negatively impacting long-term outcomes. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) provide cardiovascular and kidney benefits in non-KT recipients, but evidence in KT recipients remains limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide updated evidence on the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i and GLP-1RAs on KT recipients.
Read More
Machine Learning Algorithms in Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death Under Normothermic Regional Perfusion: A Graft Survival Prediction Model
Several scores have been developed to stratify the risk of graft loss in controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD). However, their performance is unsatisfactory in the Spanish population, where most cDCD livers are recovered using normothermic regional perfusion (NRP). Consequently, we explored the role of different machine learning-based classifiers as predictive models for graft survival. A risk stratification score integrated with the model of end-stage liver disease score in a donor-recipient (D-R) matching system was developed.
Read More

Transplantation Direct - Social Media Content

Soluble DNA Concentration in the Perfusate is a Predictor of Posttransplant Renal Function in Hypothermic Machine Perfused Kidney Allografts
Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) has greatly improved kidney allograft preservation. However, tissue damage still occurs during HMP, affecting posttransplant graft function. Therefore, better methods are needed to continuously assess organ quality and to predict posttransplant graft function and survival. We propose that soluble DNA (sDNA) concentration in HMP perfusate can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for this purpose.
READ MORE
Process Variation in Liver, Kidney, and Pancreas Transplantation: A Multicenter Evaluation From the Consortium for the Holistic Assessment of Risk in Transplant
Transplant center processes for determining candidacy are complex, poorly documented, ambiguous, and variable across centers. Opaque and nonstandardized transplant processes can compromise data collection and lead to inconsistent outcomes.
READ MORE

In Case You Missed It...

Transplantation - Behind the Paper - 4 New Interviews

SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
VIEW OR LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
Landscape of US Waitlist Registrants who Received Transplantation Abroad. Dr. Allan Massie was interviewed during WTC 2025.
VIEW OR LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
The Economic Value of Volunteers Directing and Managing the US Organ Donation and Transplantation System
VIEW OR LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network - OPTN. The interview was filmed during WTC 2025.
VIEW OR LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
Click here for details
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International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) Symposium - October 3–5

Come and visit the TTS Booth at ITNS 2025!

Onsite representative: Jennifer Groverman, Manager, DICG & Projects

Join us for the 33rd Annual Symposium of ITNS

The Annual Symposium presented International Transplant Nurses Society features world-class speakers providing cutting-edge research and clinical information in transplant nursing. Attendees will have the opportunity to continue their professional education in a highly respected, stimulating environment, while earning continuing education credits and CEPTCs. TTS’ Allied Health Professional Committee Chair Estephan Arredondo will present on "Bridging Borders: Exploring Spain and Europe’s Legacy and Innovation in Transplantation”. ITNS' Annual Symposium is an ideal context to engage in innovative sessions, address evolving issues, and connect with an international organization of nurses devoted to the advancement of transplant nursing excellence.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS AND TO REGISTER

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