Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine & Molecular Diagnostics

Biography

Biography: Kevin John Fowler

Abstract

Since the first successful kidney transplant between the Herrick twins in 1954, the lives of thousands of patients have been saved and transformed through kidney transplantation.  While innovation has continued in kidney transplantation, long term outcomes have not changed.  In the United States, at 10 years post-transplant , 50% of kidney transplant recipients have lost their transplanted kidney.  The lack of change in long term outcomes is partially caused by the increased occurrence  of cancer, infections, and metabolic syndrome found among kidney transplant recipients compared to the general population.  The increases in these post-transplant diseases is caused by the organ rejection medications that recipeints take for life.  Beyond the impact on post-transplant mortality, the medications also dimish quality of life.  The current post-transplant monitoring test is serum creatinine function.  This test is limited in its ability to determine the appropriate immunosuprressant dose,  and determine whether the patient is either under immunosuppressed or over immunosuprssed.  Besides the lack of specificity, the serum creatine test lacks the ability to predict future events such as acute and chronic rejection.  Essentially, transplant nephroogists are force to practice reactive medcine rather than procactice medicine.  There is a need for a post-transplant monitoring test that provides specific and accurate information that will enable nephrologists to prescribe the appropriate dose which will reduce post-transplant cancer, infections, improve qulaity of etc. and prevent the development of acute and chronic rejection.