Theme 5 is led by Professor Menna Clatworthy (Cambridge). The theme works in collaboration with the other themes in the BTRU, providing specialist expertise in molecular biology techniques.
Organ shortage is a major problem in transplantation. To provide transplants for the many patients waiting, doctors are using organs from older donors, some of whom have medical problems. Many of these transplants ultimately work well, but some do not. We need to be able to test which organs will work well and which should not be transplanted.
To tackle the problem of organ shortage, researchers in the BTRU are also trying to improve organs by giving them drugs or therapies before they are put into the recipient. This could increase the lifespan of the organ. We need to be able to test the effects of these drugs and therapies on the organs.
The aim of our theme is to produce tests that can be performed on an organ when it is retrieved from the donor or after it has been given a treatment. These tests will help to decide whether the organ is going to work well in the longer term or whether a treatment has been successful. Two types of test are being developed.
The first type of test measures differences in the genetic code. The full genetic code is called the genome. This is where the term genomics comes from. The genetic code is the instruction manual for cells. Cells are the building blocks of organs. Our tests will measure differences in the genetic code in the cells of donor organs.
The second type of test assesses the biological molecules that cells need to do their work in an organ. These molecules are often called biological markers, hence the term biomarker. By measuring biomarkers it is possible to see how well an organ is working or how it has responded to a drug or therapy.
Ultimately, these genomics and biomarker tests will help doctors to make better decisions about whether to use an organ and how to treat an organ to improve its function. Therefore the tests developed in this theme have the potential to increase the number of transplants being done and improve outcomes for patients.
Patient impact
- Increasing the number of organs available for transplantation by working out which ones will work well
- Improving the quality of organs by giving them treatments before they are transplanted
