Know an early-career professional or student interested in transplantation? Encourage them to check out the AST Fellows Symposium! This unique program offers expert-led sessions and valuable networking with leaders in the field. It’s a great opportunity for fellows, residents, pharmacists, nurses, and students to explore career paths in transplant and build lasting connections.

The July 22 congressional hearing, "Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System", highlighted serious concerns around patient safety, system oversight, and accountability. The hearing made clear that even rare failures can have devastating consequences, and that improvements and thoughtful oversight are both necessary and urgent. View Full Statement 

The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) has been reintroduced in Congress, and we need your support. This bipartisan legislation would prohibit insurance discrimination against living organ donors, ensure they can use FMLA leave during recovery, and require updated educational resources to promote donation.

Take action now — urge your lawmakers to support the LDPA.

Funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) put critical transplant research at risk. NIH-funded studies have driven advancements in transplantation, improving patient outcomes and paving the way for innovations like new immunosuppressants, immune tolerance strategies, and even organ regeneration. Without this support, progress in the field could slow, affecting countless patients and families.

We need your help to ensure that transplant research remains a priority. Use our advocacy page to contact your members of Congress and urge them to protect NIH funding. Together, we can make a difference. Take action today!

The AST developed a survey aimed at soliciting your perspectives on legislative and regulatory issues that significantly influence both patient care and professional practice. Our goal is to establish a platform for our membership to share their invaluable ideas and perspectives and actively engage with the Public Policy Committee and AST leadership. We look forward to your input as we navigate the dynamics of our ever-evolving landscape of transplant care and practice.

This post-hoc analysis was conducted to understand the impact of kidney function on 200 days of cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis in CMV donor-positive/recipient-negative (D+R-) kidney transplant recipients (KTRs).

Adult CMV D+R- KTRs were randomized (1:1) post-transplant to letermovir 480 mg (with acyclovir and valganciclovir placebo) or valganciclovir 900 mg (with acyclovir and letermovir placebos) daily for 28 weeks (NCT03443869). Valganciclovir and acyclovir doses were modified for kidney function (Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance [CrCl]). Dose frequency, adherence, CMV DNAemia, and discontinuations were evaluated at week 28.

In female transplant recipients, immunosuppressant use during pregnancy raises potential concerns about adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. This non-interventional study used prospectively- and retrospectively-reported cases from the Transplant Pregnancy Registry International from 1991 until 2020. The study used two separate cohorts to evaluate the prevalence of major malformations and small for gestational age (SGA), respectively, among livebirth infants born to female kidney or liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus-containing regimens (Tac) or non-tacrolimus-containing regimens (non-Tac). 

Organ transplant listing decisions are made by multidisciplinary selection committees using structured, deliberative processes to evaluate candidate eligibility. Engaging patients in these meetings has been proposed as a strategy to enhance transparency, trust, and patient-centered care. This study assessed patient and professional perspectives via an online survey of 1,349 American Society of Transplantation (AST) and National Kidney Foundation (NKF) members (907 patients, caregivers, family; 442 transplant team members). Among patient respondents, 77% (n=694) supported the option for patients to participate in transplant listing meetings, compared to 27% (n=121) of transplant team members. Additionally, 79% (n=717) of patients agreed that patient involvement would enhance trust, compared to 37% (n=164) of transplant team members.