A HISTOLOGICAL APPROACH TO CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD OF LUNG TRANSPLANTATION

Lung transplantation is a life-saving treatment option for patients with chronic end-stage lung diseases. Worldwide, more than 50,000 lung transplantations have been performed. However, survival remains hampered by the development of chronic rejection (CR), which affects almost 50% of patients within 5 years after lung transplantation. CR is a heterogeneous condition and the clinical differential diagnosis remains troublesome. In this project, we hypothesize that innovative histopathologic research will provide important new mechanistic insights in the development of CR, which could lead to a more accurate differential diagnosis. A systematic and detailed histopathologic analysis of the different clinical phenotypes is highly needed, but currently lacking. Therefore, we will investigate the histopathologic changes in routinely acquired lung biopsies and full explant lungs from patients with CR. In addition, we aim to investigate the pathophysiologic mechanisms of different histopathologic lesions and different clinical phenotypes of CR, using cutting-edge techniques such as laser-assisted microdissection and multiplex imaging. This project aims to identify biomarkers to predict and diagnose CR. This is highly needed given the difficult differential diagnosis of CR and poor survival in patients with CR. By elucidating the pathophysiology of CR, this project forms a first step for the later development of highly needed specific drugs to prevent CR development or progression.

Publication year:2022

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