Cell analysis: predicting islet transplant rejection

Lead researcher Dr Min Hu and her team aimed to standardize a method using flow cytometry - technology that detects and measures the characteristics of a group of cells - to analyze the immune cells present in blood samples. The research built on existing findings, which established that certain profiling panels (sets of characteristics that are detected and measured) could be used on flow cytometers to monitor the major immune cells involved in transplantation.

Hu said, "In the short term, islet transplant recipients do well. However, longer term, we see cases of rejection increase. Transplant rejection is a major cause of graft loss and loss of function. It is important that we develop a means of predicting the likelihood of rejection, so that we can intervene. We found that this method was easy to use and produced consistent results across a number of samples. Importantly, we also found that this method had a very limited impact on the patient - only 1.5mL of blood was required for testing."

Islet transplantation is currently only administered in clinical trials. Hu said the research findings could be used in conjunction with current clinical trials to monitor patients after a transplant. "Islet transplantation is an important breakthrough for people with type 1 diabetes. If the transplant is tolerated, it can significantly improve the patients' quality of life.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Westmead Institute for Medical Research