Hospital de La Paz researchers develop new transplant method to reduce drug dependency

Medical researchers at Hospital de La Paz in Madrid have developed a pioneering strategy to prevent organ transplant rejection while minimizing the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. The technique, part of the OneTrasplant4Life project, combines solid organ transplantation with a transplant of hematopoietic stem cells from the same donor.

Led by Antonio Pérez Martínez and Francisco Hernández-Oliveros, the method has been successfully applied to two pediatric patients. Five years after their transplants, both patients maintain stable organ function with minimal reliance on immunosuppressants. This approach emulates a natural biological phenomenon where genetically distinct individuals share circulation and tolerate grafts.

The results, published in Communications Medicine, have paved the way for a Phase I clinical trial to test the safety of the method. The ultimate goal is to reduce the side effects associated with chronic immunosuppressant use, such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and renal toxicity, thereby improving the quality of life for transplant recipients.