Strategies to Overcome HLA Sensitization in Kidney Transplantation

The last decade has seen a marked improvement in short-term kidney transplantation outcomes but long-term graft survival remains sub-optimal. Graft loss negatively impacts patient survival and increases the number of patients waitlisted for a subsequent kidney transplant. HLA sensitization is a major risk factor for antibody mediated rejection that contributes to chronic allograft nephropathy, the most common cause of late graft failure. HLA sensitization also impacts waitlisted patients by reducing the number of potential compatible donors.

This research topic will review recent immunogenetic technical advances that allow better HLA characterization, new immunosuppressive therapies that break the barriers of sensitization, advances in international allocation systems that decrease the impact of sensitization promoting equality and utility, and new diagnostic tools and therapeutic weapons to early and late kidney graft rejection.

Topics covered within this collection include, but are not limited to:

- Advances in immunogenetic laboratorial techniques to HLA and non-HLA characterization

- Strategies to decrease HLA sensitization in chronic kidney disease patients

- Optimizing the access of kidney transplant to the highly sensitized

- New immunosuppressive regimens and desensitization protocols

- Strategies to promote longevity matching



Manuscripts may include original research, systematic reviews, comprehensive reviews and unique case reports.

Keywords: Acute Rejection, Allosensitization, Donor Specific Antibodies, Human Leukocyte Antigens, Immunosuppression, Kidney Transplant

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.