Transplant Researchers and Projects

Researchers Focus on Minimizing Immunosuppressive Drugs

At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, George Mazariegos, MD is coordinating clinical efforts to safely minimize immunosuppressive medications after liver transplantation. The goals of this clinical practice are to maximize quality of life and minimize the undesirable side effects of immunosuppressive therapy while maximizing long-term liver function.

Dr. Mazariegos has also collaborated with colleagues at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute to develop simple blood tests that can be drawn with a patient's regular blood work in order to help determine their likelihood of rejection or the possibility of lowering immunosuppressive medications. This "tolerance assay" is funded by the Immune Tolerance Network, an international multidisciplinary organization funded by the NIH.