New UBC organ matching project aims to improve transplant success

B.C. is becoming the first jurisdiction in the world to launch an organ matching project with the aim of improving the success rate of organ transplants.

Researchers hope organ matching will prevent organ rejection and reduce the need for patients to take immune-suppressing drugs.

Karen Sherwood, clinical assistant professor at UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and one of the project team members, says when a patient receives a new organ, the immune system launches an attack when it detects a foreign protein called epitopes, leading to organ rejection. Sherwood says the focus of the research is on something called epitope-matching, which can lead to lower rates of rejection.

“If we can trick the immune system into thinking that that organ that I placed into the patient looks like you, it’s not going to recognize it, and it’s less likely to react and attack the incoming organ,” she said.

“That means you don’t have to take as many immunosuppressions, your risk of rejection is reduced, you’re more likely to have a healthy, functional transplant for a lot longer.”

The project’s first focus will be kidneys and then extend to other organs, according to BC Transplant.

The organization also says the project has recently received $5.8 million in funding from several sources, including Genome BC, Genome Canada, Michael Smith Health Research BC, and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, according to BC Transplant.

The project will start in B.C. and later extend across Canada.

Researchers estimate it could save the health system $100 million per year through preventing hospitalization, premature graft loss, and death.