University of Wisconsin researchers think milk does a kidney transplant goodThe Capital Times — 12/03/2008 5:22 pm
Wisconsin's famous milk and cows now might provide a wonderful new health benefit. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will be looking into whether milk produced by genetically engineered cows can prevent the rejection of transplanted kidneys.
Many kidney transplants fail because a protein called human C1 produced by antibodies released by the body's immune system attacks the donated organ, a potentially fatal reaction called antibody-mediated rejection, or AMR. UW researchers hope injections of a C1 inhibitor extracted from milk produced by the genetically engineered cows might stop that rejection process.
In a clinical trial, surgeons will identify patients with AMR and treat half with injections of the C1 inhibitor from the cow's milk and half with the current standard treatment -- a blood-cleansing procedure called plasmapheresis.
The trial, which was recently approved by the FDA, is sponsored by Pharming, a European-based biotech company.
Dr. Hans Sollinger, the surgeon who heads the transplant program at UW Hospital and Clinics, said results could be available by next year.
He is hopeful for good news, noting the success of clinical trials using a similar approach to treat a rare disease called hereditary angioedema, a condition in which antibodies trigger swelling and lesions of the skin and mucous membranes. "This is very exciting," he said. "Hopefully we can turn rejections around."
http://www.madison.com/tct/news//index.php?ntid=317065
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