Lung Transplantation

Damaged lungs may still be viable for transplant

Nicole Palmby — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:48:59 -0500

Using outside-the-body gene therapy, Canadian researchers were able to repair lungs deemed too damaged to use for transplant, according to a study published Wednesday.

Depression and PTSD symptoms in caregivers of lung transplant patients

harminka — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:29:19 -0500

Symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among caregivers of deceased lung transplant patients are four-to-five times more prevalent than in the average population, according to researchers who analyzed the stress levels of caregivers, as well as their perceptions of the transplant recipients’ quality of dying and death.

Biomarkers identified for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

harminka — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:25:20 -0500

The first evidence of a distinctive protein signature that could help to transform the diagnosis and improve the monitoring of the devastating lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is being reported by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in this month’s edition of PLoS Medicine, an open-access journal of the Public Library of Science.

UCSF marks milestone with 500th transplant in heart and lung program

harminka — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:30:50 -0500

UCSF marked a milestone this week with the 500th procedure in its Thoracic Transplant Program, which specializes in transplantation of the heart and lung.

Lung transplants not dangerous for children with cystic fibrosis

harminka — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:03:42 -0500

Responding to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which concluded that lung transplants were harmful for children with cystic fibrosis, articles published in the latest issue of Pediatric Transplantation refute the conclusions and argue that the highly influential research was severely flawed.

Blacks awaiting lung transplants more to die or be denied than whites

harminka — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:22:09 -0600

Blacks with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were less likely to receive a lung transplant and more likely to die or be removed from the transplant list than whites, according to Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

Good outcomes for older lung transplant patients

harminka — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:29:41 -0600

In the world of organ donation, it has been common practice to exclude older patients from receiving transplants because of limited donor supply and lower survival rates.

New therapeutic target for dangerous lung disease

harminka — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:31:11 -0600

A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers may have found a key mechanism underlying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a usually fatal lung disease for which transplantation is the only successful treatment.

Alcohol may amplify chronic rejection in lung transplants

harminka — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:30:49 -0600

A recent study using an animal model of lung transplants shows that chronic alcohol consumption by the donor promotes scarring and airway injury after transplantation.

Study of lung transplants for cystic fibrosis

harminka — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:53:06 -0600

Commenting on a study of lung transplantation for children with cystic fibrosis, a leading pediatric pulmonologist calls the study “startling” in an editorial in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine that accompanies the study.

Lung transplants bring more harm than good to children with cystic fibrosis

harminka — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:27:17 -0600

Lung transplantation, the therapy almost every cystic fibrosis patient (CF) considers at some point to prolong survival, rarely helps children with the disease live longer and, in fact, often increases their risk of dying, University of Utah researchers conclude in the most extensive study of the issue to date.

New ways to prevent transplant rejection in humans

harminka — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:56:31 -0500

Lung transplants have been performed successfully for more than 20 years in humans but never before in mice – until now. Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed the first mouse model of lung transplantation, and they’re hoping it will help explain why the success of the procedure in humans lags far behind other solid organ transplants.