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Important Dates
AST News
Join us in Scottsdale: Cutting Edge of Transplantation 2026
Join us at CEoT 2026, a three-day meeting focused on advancing transplantation science, clinical practice, and patient outcomes. This meeting will explore the future of transplantation across all organ types, highlighting innovation, equity, and lifelong patient care. Hear from leading experts and engage in interactive breakout sessions across specialties, focusing on emerging technologies, allocation strategies, and the changing landscape of organ disease.
Become a Fellow of the AST (FAST)
The Fellow of the American Society of Transplantation (FAST) designation application is now open!
The FAST designation is more than just a title. It's a mark of excellence that highlights your dedication to the AST and to the field of transplantation. Proudly display your commitment to advancing transplantation by adding "FAST" to your professional signature.
AJT Editorial Fellowship
American Journal of Transplantation (AJT) will invite applications between December 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026 for the AJT Editorial Fellowship Program. The Editorial Fellowship is a year-long editorial experience in the publication and peer review process to fellows and junior faculty in transplant-related fields, including a Basic Science track. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity for the fellows to network with AJT editors through mentorship and participation in key journal initiatives.
2025 AST Giving Tuesday Giveaway
Through December 9, every donation to AST’s Giving Tuesday Campaign enters you for a chance to win two tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, plus a basket of magical Harry Potter–themed goodies — including two Alex and Ani bracelets, a cozy blanket, a wand game, and a LEGO set.
Support the AST this giving season and get your name in the running for this incredible prize!
Updates on Efforts and Resources Related to Transplant Nephrology Training
In fall 2024, the ACGME approved the application from the joint ASN-AST Task Force to recognize transplant nephrology as an accredited subspecialty of nephrology. By supporting a broad and nationwide adoption of uniformly rigorous transplant nephrology training, ASN and AST hope to improve the quality of care provided to patients in both the pre-and post-transplant phases.
A webpage has been created to share ongoing updates and resources related to this new accreditation.
Upcoming Education
AST Public Policy Form
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.
Refer Your Colleagues
It’s the perfect time to invite your colleagues to join the AST community. Every time you refer a new member, you’ll be entered to win amazing prizes — including a $500 Royal Caribbean gift card or an Apple iPad.
The more colleagues you refer, the better your chances of winning. Plus, you’ll help strengthen the transplant community by welcoming more professionals to connect, learn, and grow with the AST.
Key Articles in Transplantation
Enhancement of suppressive function of Ly49+ CD8+ T cells in allogeneic immunity by CD80/86-CD28 blockade in mouse
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Ly49⁺ CD8⁺ T cells restricted by Qa-1 or major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/peptide can function as immune suppressors in autoimmune diseases and chronic activation-associated tissue damage. In organ transplantation, a C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 5+ (CXCR5⁺) Ly49⁺ CD8⁺ T cell subset reportedly suppresses CD4⁺ T cell activation via Qa-1 recognition, thereby inhibiting donor-specific antibody (DSA) production and promoting heart graft survival, particularly under CD80/86-CD28 co-stimulation blockade. However, their precise role in anti-allogeneic responses remains unclear.
No Kidney Left Behind: Rescuing Unused Donor Kidneys for Transplant at the First Centralized Assessment and Repair Center
Source: Frontiers Publishing Partnerships
Rescue of non-used kidneys may be facilitated using sub-normothermic acellular machine perfusion (SNAP), which can prolong safe preservation times and provide additional viability assessment. While blood-based normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has been utilized internationally, barriers to adoption of NMP in the US include limited availability, staffing and facility resource limitations, geographic distances between donor and recipient hospitals, blood shortages, and reliance on hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP). To overcome obstacles to adoption, the first centralized kidney Assessment and Repair Center (ARC) was established in West Lafayette, Indiana. Organized as an independent public benefit company, this center was designed to provide sub-normothermic acellular perfusion (SNAP) and assessment services to rescue unused/hard-to-place (HTP) kidneys. An acellular, human serum albumin-based perfusate was chosen, and a second cold ischemic time (CIT) was validated during pre-clinical testing. Between April 2024- May 2025, 158 unused deceased donor kidneys were transported to the ARC, resulting in 142 transplants (90%) after SNAP assessment. SNAP is feasible when performed by a centralized ARC and reduces kidney discard rates by providing objective viability assessment data. Moreover, SNAP allows for extended preservation times of nearly 70 h, enabling improved logistical planning and broader sharing of deceased donor kidneys.
The impact of increasing out-of-sequence allocation on kidney transplant patient outcomes
Source: American Journal of Transplantation
The use of allocation out of sequence (AOOS) of donor kidneys has increased in recent years in the US. The impact on candidate and recipient outcomes is unknown. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we analyzed 83 811 adult candidates who were listed for a single-kidney transplant between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, to compare waitlist outcomes between candidates listed at centers with varying out-of-sequence use. We also investigated the impact on posttransplant all-cause graft failure using an analysis of 37 266 adult single-kidney transplant recipients who received a transplant from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. Compared with candidates listed at centers that did not accept any offers via AOOS in the 6 months prior to listing, candidates at centers that accepted 10%, 20%, and 30% of offers via AOOS had 4% (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97-1.11), 27% (HR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.37), and 81% (HR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.60-2.04) increases in rates of deceased donor transplant. All-cause graft failure by out-of-sequence vs standard allocation did not differ in analysis adjusted for recipient and donor characteristics (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.93-1.15), suggesting a greater impact for pretransplant outcomes. System-wide variation in the use of AOOS has contributed to differential access to kidney transplants.
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Donation Derby Ends 
