Ralph Randal Bollinger

CURRENT RESEARCH EFFORT

The current research effort of the D.B. Amos Transplant Research Laboratory is focused on xenotransplantation and the clinical trials of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of rejection in human renal allograft recipients. A primary accomplishment in 1998 was completion of the fifth successful year of an NIH funded Program Project in Xenotransplantation. Significant accomplishments included prolongation of porcine to baboon cardiac xenografts with transgenic pig hearts expressing human CD59 and DAF or MCP complement regulatory proteins, and the continuation of ex vivo xenograft perfusion of porcine livers by human liver failure patients as a bridge to hepatic transplantation. Studies of the human-antiporcine cellular repertoire made progress. Clinical outcome studies of ileoanal pull through in inflammatory bowel disease patients confirmed excellent function and patient satisfaction. The creation of a Duke Comprehensive Transplant Center continued with the work of organ specific task forces,the opening of a multidisciplinary transplant clinic and the establishment of a Transplant Clinical Business Unit.