Innovations and Perspectives in Kidney Transplantation

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Immunology and Immunotherapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 467

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, General Hospital of Athens “Laiko”, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: polycystic kidney disease; glomerular disease; kidney transplantation; immunology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to gather publications related to all aspects of kidney transplantation, both experimental and clinical. Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage kidney disease. Over the past year, several new research insights and policy changes have advanced the field of kidney transplantation. Kidney xenotransplantation has reached its first human recipients, previously under-used organs are becoming transplantable with new procurement and preservation approaches, and post-transplant care, including the prevention of complications, has become safer. The field of kidney replacement technology has evolved greatly over the last two decades, with improvements in nanotechnology, cell growth techniques, and bioreactors. Two of the most recent technological advancements in this field are the implantable bioartificial kidney and kidney regeneration technology. Both techniques are in preclinical stages and aim to fully replace normal kidney functionality. Additionally, these technologies may have the potential to address many associated risks of dialysis and kidney transplants, such as potential infections, effects of immunosuppression, and the risk of cancer, specifically renal cancer. Furthermore, transplant tolerance protocols that may help eliminate the long-term need for antirejection drugs and treatment are currently under development and evaluation. The development of stem cell transplant technology is at the forefront of groundbreaking research with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for immunosuppressive medications and to ameliorate the burdensome side-effects associated with these.

This Special Issue welcomes original articles, communications, and reviews focused on innovations and perspectives in all aspects of kidney transplantation.

Dr. Vassilis Filiopoulos
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bioartificial kidney
  • immunology
  • immunosuppression
  • kidney transplantation
  • tolerance
  • graft rejection
  • graft survival
  • xenotransplantation
  • kidney regeneration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 596 KB  
Article
Risk Factors for the Development of Malignancies Post-Transplantation in Kidney Transplant Recipients
by Kalliopi Vallianou, Ioannis Bellos, Vassilis Filiopoulos, Chrysanthi Skalioti, Pagona Lagiou, Vassiliki Benetou and Smaragdi Marinaki
Biomedicines 2025, 13(10), 2346; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13102346 - 25 Sep 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Malignancies constitute a major cause of death among kidney transplant recipients, and their incidence is increasing globally. We aimed to estimate the frequency of de novo malignancies and identify factors associated with their occurrence among kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Data [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Malignancies constitute a major cause of death among kidney transplant recipients, and their incidence is increasing globally. We aimed to estimate the frequency of de novo malignancies and identify factors associated with their occurrence among kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Data were derived from the medical records of patients who received a kidney transplant between January 1979 and December 2023 in “Laiko” University Hospital in Athens, Greece. Κidney transplant recipients with a diagnosis of de novo malignancy were compared with recipients without malignancy and were matched for age, sex and year of transplantation. Demographic and clinical characteristics, data on immunosuppression and cancer type were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify possible risk factors for cancer occurrence. Results: Out of 2986 recipients, 268 (8.98%) developed malignancies within a median time of 8 (interquartile range—IQR: 4–16) years after transplantation. Of them, 59.3% were males, the median age at transplantation was 48 (IQR: 39–57) years and the median dialysis vintage was 31.5 (IQR: 9.5–70) months. In addition, 17.2% had a history of rejection. The majority (66.7%) received a combination of mycophenolate and a calcineurin inhibitor with or without steroids. The most frequent malignancies were lung cancer (13%) and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (13%), followed by Kaposi sarcoma (8.2%). At diagnosis, 37% had generalized end-stage disease and 19% had aggressive disease with poor prognosis. In multivariate analysis, a history of rejection (odds ratio—OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.04–2.94) and glomerulonephritis as primary kidney disease (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.06–4.67) were both significantly associated with malignancy development, whereas immunosuppressive medication was not. Conclusions: Cancer occurrence among kidney transplant recipients was related to the cumulative burden of immunosuppression rather than a specific immunosuppressant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Perspectives in Kidney Transplantation)
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