Kidney Week

Educational Symposium

Diagnostic Controversies in Transplantation: Of Biomarkers and Biopsies

October 25, 2020 | 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

Location: Simulive

Session Description

Despite advances in immunosuppression therapy, acute rejection remains a threat to long-term survival after kidney transplantation. Kidney transplant biopsy has long been the diagnostic standard, but this invasive procedure is not without risks. In addition, most biopsies performed are "for cause," done in response to an increase in serum creatinine, which is an imperfect reflection of kidney function.

Cell-free DNA is continuously released into circulation; the detectable amount in blood increases in response to allograft injury or inflammation states, such as ischemia reperfusion injury, rejection, and infection. Prospective clinical trials have demonstrated that cell-free DNA can help in the diagnosis of acute rejection as well as other inflammatory states that threaten the allograft, such as BK nephropathy. Cell-free DNA technology has the potential to supplant kidney biopsy as the preferred diagnostic modality for identifying rejection.

This symposium discusses current understanding of the science and clinical application of cell-free DNA technology, providing an important update for general nephrologists and transplant professionals alike.

Support is provided by an educational grant from CareDx.

Learning Objective(s)

• Describe the use of cell-free DNA technology to diagnose acute rejection in the transplant setting
• Describe the use of cell-free DNA technology to diagnose opportunistic infections, such as BK nephropathy

Learning Pathway(s)

• Transplantation/Immunology

Moderator

• Milagros D. Samaniego-Picota, MD, FASN

Presentations

• Introduction
  01:00 PM - 01:10 PM
  Milagros D. Samaniego-Picota, MD, FASN
  
  Milagros D. Samaniego-Picota, MD, FASN

Introduction

October 25, 2020 | 01:00 PM - 01:10 PM

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• Getting to Goal: The Current Use of Cell-Free DNA to Diagnose Rejection
  01:10 PM - 01:35 PM
  Alexander C. Wiseman, MD 
  
  

  Alexander C. Wiseman, MD

  Alexander Wiseman, MD Dr. Alexander Wiseman is the Executive Director of Kidney Transplantation at Centura Transplant in Denver Colorado. He completed both his undergraduate and medical school training at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine at University of California, San Francisco and completed his nephrology and transplant nephrology fellowships at University of Colorado. His was previously a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado where he was a faculty member for 20 years, and was the Medical Director for Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Programs from 2008-2020. Dr. Wiseman’s interests include novel immunosuppression and immune monitoring, organ allocation and utilization, and access to transplantation. He has served as Chair for a number of ASN and AST supported meetings, has given over 200 invited lectures nationally and internationally, and is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Transplantation.

Getting to Goal: The Current Use of Cell-Free DNA to Diagnose Rejection

October 25, 2020 | 01:10 PM - 01:35 PM

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• More Than Rejection: Use of Cell-Free DNA to Diagnose Other Immunologic Threats
  01:35 PM - 02:00 PM
  Darshana M. Dadhania, MD, MS 
  
  

  Darshana M. Dadhania, MD, MS

  Dr. Darshana Dadhania is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and is the Medical Director of the Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She received her M.D. from University of Medicine and Dentistry from New Jersey and her training in medicine, nephrology and transplant medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Dadhania has a keen interest in the management of Histoincompatible transplant recipients and optimizing the long-term outcomes of kidney and pancreas transplant recipients. She completed her Masters in Clinical Investigation in 2009 at Weill Cornell Medicine and is funded by NIH. She is actively engaged in developing diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for renal allograft dysfunction and allo-immune injury. She has been an active member of AST Community of Practices and has served as a Chair for number of consensus conferences sponsored by AST and is the Transplantation Section Editor for Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation journal.

More Than Rejection: Use of Cell-Free DNA to Diagnose Other Immunologic Threats

October 25, 2020 | 01:35 PM - 02:00 PM

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