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Kidney transplantation in 2022

Progress towards solving the donor organ shortage

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 19, pages 83–84 (2023)Cite this article

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Kidney transplantation is the best therapy for kidney failure, but is limited by donor organ availability and the risks associated with immunosuppression. Studies in 2022 provided encouraging data about the outcomes of COVID-19 among transplant recipients, the effects of changes to organ allocation policy in the US and progress in xenotransplantation, raising hope that the organ shortage can be solved.

Key advances

  • Organ transplantation is not an independent risk factor for death from COVID-19 when data are adequately adjusted for other comorbidities3.

  • The performance of US Organ Procurement Organizations is not driven by the organ acceptance and utilization rates of local transplant centres5; policy changes could increase organ recovery, allocation and utilization.

  • Successful transplantation of genetically modified pig kidneys into recently deceased humans is encouraging for the potential future of clinical xenotransplantation7,8.

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Fig. 1: Major findings in kidney transplantation in 2022.

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comprehensive Transplant Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Douglas J. Anderson & Jayme E. Locke

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Douglas J. Anderson & Jayme E. Locke

Authors
  1. Douglas J. Anderson
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  2. Jayme E. Locke
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Correspondence to Jayme E. Locke.

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Competing interests

D.J.A. and J.D.L. receive grant funding from United Therapeutics and its subsidiaries Lung Biotechnology and Revivicor. D.J.A. and J.D.L. receive grant funding from Hansa Biopharma. J.D.L. is a consultant for Sanofi.

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Anderson, D.J., Locke, J.E. Progress towards solving the donor organ shortage. Nat Rev Nephrol 19, 83–84 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-022-00664-y

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