While kidney transplantation has traditionally required recipients to take immunosuppressive drugs for the remainder of their lives to prevent organ rejection, a new study offers hope for a treatment that may enable transplant recipients to take lower dosages of these drugs, or even none at all.
The study, published in Clinical Transplantation in August 2023, explored an investigational stem cell therapy called FCR001, which has been shown to induce tolerance and eliminate the need for immunosuppression by establishing persistent mixed chimerism, a state in which a transplant recipient has a stable combination of cells from their donor and themselves.
In the phase 2 clinical study, 72% of patients treated with FCR001 developed persistent chimerism, enabling them to eliminate all immunosuppression.
There was no difference in incidence of organ rejection, graft loss or death between patients treated with FCR001 and those treated with a traditional regimen of immunosuppressive medications. In addition, FCR001 recipients demonstrated superior kidney function at 5 years and experienced fewer complications.
Enabling kidney transplant recipients to lower or eliminate immunosuppressive medications is the primary goal of ImmunoFree, a new company founded in 2023.
“Since the first successful organ transplant in 1954, organ donation has enabled millions of transplant recipients to live longer, healthier lives,” said ImmunoFree founder Garet Hil. “Unfortunately, to prevent their bodies from rejected their donor organs, transplant recipients must take powerful immunosuppressive drugs with a wide range of dangerous side effects.”
”This new study is an exciting and promising breakthrough in stem cell transplantation technology, an could provide an opportunity to drastically improve post-transplant treatment for transplant recipients, enabling them to live longer, healthier lives with their transplanted organs.”
About ImmunoFree
ImmunoFree was founded in 2023 to improve the lives of transplant patients by using new stem cell technology to eliminate the need for immunosuppressive medications without fear of organ rejection. To learn more, visit www.immunofree.com.
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