Centre for Transplant and Renal Research

Centre for Transplant and Renal Research (CTRR)

A major focus of the transplant stream has been transplant genomics and the identification of biomarkers that predict transplant outcome and acute rejection, development of cell-based therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes, with links to the National Pancreas Transplant Unit at Westmead Hospital, and developing regulatory T cells to prevent rejection after transplant and how to boost long term outcomes.

The second major focus of the group is renal research. This includes the acute kidney injury group investigating the mechanisms of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and improving patient outcomes following kidney and islet transplantation. The renal injury and fibrosis group looks at mechanisms to delay and prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease. It aims to understand the underlying processes of chronic kidney disease and to develop ways of slowing disease progression. The polycystic kidney group investigates cystic renal disease, with preclinical and clinical research projects aimed at preventing kidney failure due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

The Centre's key strengths:

The Centre has strong links with Westmead Hospital with 4 clinicians/researchers leading research groups in CTRR.
Proven translational capacity of research e.g.
• Australian first clinical trial for normothermic kidney perfusions
• Identifying predictive biomarkers as tools for precision medicine transplant outcomes
• Translation of islet transplantation to the clinic and innovative clinical trials
• Improved outcome for polycystic kidney disease
• Improving organs for transplantation
• Participation in major clinical trials e.g. the Tempo 3:4 and REPRISE Trials which led to approval of tolvaptan by PBS.

Clinical issues readily inform research questions such as the introduction of genomics and personalised medicine tools for predicting transplant outcomes, including:
• Well curated patient cohort studies with a large tissue biobank and linked clinical data from Kidney, Kidney/Kidney-pancreas and islet transplant recipients.
• Broad range of animal models for:
• Solid organ transplantation
• Islet transplantation
• Acute and chronic kidney injury models
• Machine perfusion.

CTRR has invitro/in silico technical strengths in immunophenotyping, IMC and bioinformatics.

The CTRR research team includes:

Professor Philip O'Connell - Centre Director and Research Group Leader
Professor Natasha Rogers - Centre Co-Director and Research Group Leader
Professor Gopi Rangan - Research Group Leader
Dr Min Hu - Research Group Leader
Professor Wayne Hawthorne - Research Group Leader
Dr Qi Cao - Research Group Leader
Dr Guoping Zheng - Research Group Leader
Dr Yiping Wang - Research Group Leader
Dr Jennifer Li - Research Group Leader
Elvira Jimenez-Vera - Scientific Officer
Dr Kedar Ghimire - Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Dr Paulomi Mehta - Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Dr Sohel Juloi - Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Daniel Lu - Animal Surgeon
Bahman Delat - Islet Operations Manager
Mahmoud Azar - Islet Operations Manager
Lauren Joo - Islet Operations Manager
Professor David Harris - Head of Renal Research Group
Professor Germaine Wong - Head of Renal Unit WSLHD
Sally Coulter - Research Support Officer

Recent CTRR success and discoveries:

Revolutionisinig tranplant medicine
New research funding to make life-saving treatment a reality for more type 1 diabetics
WIMR-led research receives MRFF grant: Developing and vaidating a risk score for kidney transplantation
New finding could help improve glucose control for diabetics
World first study sheds light on interaction between chronic kidney disease and osteoarthritis
Inflammation ‘brake’ gene may help reveal outcomes of kidney disease

Research Teams

Kidney Injury Repair and Fibrosis Study Group

We are researching a new way of targeting kidney fibrosis and preventing kidney failure. Fibrosis is caused by the growth factor TGF-β, which is also anti-inflammatory. We have identified a unique way of preventing TGF-β from causing fibrosis, while maintaining its important anti-inflammatory properties.

Renal Inflammation and Immunology Group

Our research aims are to understand the mechanisms underlying renal inflammation and develop novel therapeutic strategies to reverse or delay progression of chronic kidney disease to renal failure.

Preclinical Studies of Islet Transplantation Group

It is now possible to cure type 1 diabetes in some patients by transplanting donor islets, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. However, this revolutionary technique, pioneered at Westmead Hospital, is only suitable for a small group of patients who have a specific form of diabetes.

Polycystic Kidney Disease Group

Our research aims to develop new drugs and treatments that prevent kidney failure in these patients.

Kidney Injury Group

Our team is investigating the mechanisms of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and improving patient outcomes following kidney and islet transplantation.