Precision immunology in transplant: paving the way to operational tolerance

Abstract

Real-time reporting of unambiguous Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles is transforming our understanding of immunological mechanisms related to transplant outcomes, optimizing organ allocation strategies, leveraging high-resolution information to stratify immunosuppressive management and minimizing post-transplant complications. Our program focuses on developing clinical tools to achieve and monitor Operational Tolerance. We have demonstrated the feasibility of epitope-compatibility using population level immunogenetics in renal transplant patients, ultra-rapid same-day-reporting of HLA-related adverse drug reactions to enable precision prescribing, and minimal residual disease monitoring in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. We continue to utilize nanopore-based sequencing for precision immunology in novel areas, with a focus on translating them into clinical use.

Biography

Dr. Karen Sherwood is the Director of the British Columbian Provincial Transplant Immunology Laboratory at Vancouver General Hospital, Canada, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at The University of British Columbia. Karen's research focuses on human immunogenetics and immune-related diseases. She has published in the application of genomic and related technologies to drive the field of precision medicine in immune sciences from conception to implementation. She has led national programs in histocompatibility and immunogenetics, which have changed the way care is provided for transplant patients across Canada.