Understanding how kidney transplant patients respond to cytomegalovirus infection
With our funding, Dr Farah Latif from Cardiff University will continue her amazing work investigating the effect of cytomegalovirus in patients who have had a kidney transplant.
Cytomegalovirus can be dangerous for kidney patients
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common viral infection and most people in the UK have been infected with it at some point in their lives. Normally, the immune system controls the virus and it generally causes few, if any, symptoms — but it remains silently present in the body after infection.
Because people with kidney transplants take drugs to suppress their immune systems and stop organ rejection, they are vulnerable to HCMV infection. Without treatment, HCMV can cause a severe illness affecting many different organs, including the lungs, liver, and bowel.
HCMV is particularly dangerous in patients who haven’t been exposed to the virus but receive a kidney from an infected donor. Although these patients are treated with antiviral drugs for three to six months after transplant, half of them still go on to have the virus in their bloodstream.
Understanding the immune response
Farah’s fellowship grant will allow her to investigate how HCMV interacts with the immune system in kidney transplant recipients and how the immune system fights this infection.
She will examine how molecules called cytokines — the soluble messengers of the immune system — help to control infection in those who receive a kidney transplant containing HCMV, and how the virus has adapted to manipulate cytokine responses in these patients.
Understanding HCMV infection in kidney transplant patients is the first step towards developing new antiviral drugs to protect patients from this harmful virus.
Funding future leaders
Farah has been awarded a clinical training fellowship grant in partnership with The Stoneygate Trust and the Wales Clinical Academic Track programme from Health Education and Improvement Wales. These fellowships are awarded to medical doctors who wish to get specialist training in kidney research.
Farah said: “I am thrilled to have been awarded a Kidney Research UK Training Fellowship to complete my PhD studies investigating antiviral immunity to cytomegalovirus after kidney transplantation. Working with the charity to address this crucial clinical problem will give unprecedented insight into this vital area of research, and kick start my clinical academic career.”
Find out more
Read more about our newly funded research.
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"Kutumia fedha zetu, Daktari Farah Latif kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Cardiff ataendelea na kazi yake ya kushangaza ya kuchunguza athari za cytomegalovirus kwa wagonjwa ambao wamepatiwa upandikizaji wa figo.""" Cytomegalovirus ya binadamu (HCMV) ni maambukizi ya kawaida ya virusi na watu wengi nchini Uingereza wameambukizwa na ugonjwa huo wakati fulani katika maisha yao. Kwa kawaida, mfumo wa kinga unadhibiti virusi na kwa ujumla husababisha dalili chache, ikiwa zipo, lakini inabaki kimya ndani ya mwili baada ya maambukizo. Kwa sababu watu walio na upandikizaji wa figo huchukua dawa ili kuzuia mfumo wao wa kinga na kuzuia kutokubaliwa kwa viungo, wao ni hatari kwa maambukizi ya HCV. Bila matibabu, virusi hivyo vinaweza kusababisha ugonjwa mbaya unaoathiri viungo vingi, kutia ndani mapafu, ini, na matumbo. HCMV ni hatari hasa kwa wagonjwa ambao hawajawahi kuambukizwa virusi lakini kupokea figo kutoka kwa mtoaji aliyeambukizwa. Ingawa wagonjwa hawa hupatiwa dawa za kupambana na virusi kwa miezi mitatu hadi sita baada ya kupandikizwa, nusu yao bado wana virusi katika mtiririko wao wa damu. "Faraj, ambaye ni mwanafunzi wa chuo kikuu cha Harvard, amesema utafiti huo utamsaidia kuchunguza jinsi virusi vya HCV vinavyoingiliana na mfumo wa kinga kwa wagonjwa waliopatiwa figo na jinsi mfumo wa kinga unavyopambana na maambukizi hayo.""" "Mchunguzi huyo atachunguza jinsi molekuli zinazoitwa ""cytokines"" - ujumbe unaoweza kuyeyushwa wa mfumo wa kinga - zinavyosaidia kudhibiti maambukizo kwa wale wanaopokea upandikizaji wa figo unaojumuisha HCV, na jinsi virusi hivyo vimejipatanisha na kuathiri majibu ya cytokine kwa wagonjwa hao." Kuelewa maambukizi ya HCV kwa wagonjwa wa kupandikizwa figo ni hatua ya kwanza kuelekea kuendeleza dawa mpya za kupambana na virusi ili kuwalinda wagonjwa dhidi ya virusi hivi vyenye madhara. "Mwanamke huyo, ambaye pia ni mwanafunzi wa chuo kikuu cha ""Clinical Training Fellowship"" cha Wales, amepokea tuzo ya kifedha kutoka kwa shirika la Stoneygate Trust na Wales Clinical Academic Track, na pia kutoka kwa shirika la ""Health Education and Improvement Wales.""" Ushirika huu hutolewa kwa madaktari wa matibabu ambao wanataka kupata mafunzo ya wataalamu katika utafiti wa figo. "Faraj alisema: ""Ninafurahi sana kuwa na tuzo ya Kidney Research UK Training Fellowship kukamilisha masomo yangu ya PhD kuchunguza kinga ya antiviral kwa cytomegalovirus baada ya kupandikiza figo." Kufanya kazi na shirika la misaada ili kushughulikia tatizo hili muhimu la kliniki kutatoa ufahamu usio na kifani katika eneo hili muhimu la utafiti, na kuanza kazi yangu ya kitaaluma ya kliniki. Kupata jarida letu la e-newsletter Kuendelea hadi sasa na habari zetu za utafiti wa figo, matukio na njia za kushiriki.