7:45 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00 a.m.

New Horizons in Tolerance Induction, Peiman Hematti, MD and Dixon B. Kaufman, MD, PhD, FACS

Although transplantation has been a standard medical practice for decades, marked morbidity from the use of immunosuppressive drugs and poor long-term graft survival remain challenges in the field. Achieving reconstitution of immune tolerance in clinical medicine is a formidable challenge. This session will discuss current barriers to successful long-term allograft survival and describe strategies for inducing immune tolerance for the transplant recipient.

Learning objectives:

1. Outline current barriers to successful long-term allograft survival.
2. Discuss strategies for inducing transplantation tolerance.
3. Cite advances in tolerance induction with transplantation.

10:00 a.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

10:15 a.m.

New Developments in Paired Kidney Exchange, Didier Mandelbrot, MD and Marie Green Ganser,Living Kidney Donor

The treatment options for kidney failure are either continual dialysis or a kidney transplant. The preferred treatment for kidney failure is a transplant due to the costs of dialysis and long-term efficacy. Living donation plays an important role in providing high quality kidneys for transplantation, but because of frequent immunological incompatibilities, kidney-exchange models were designed. This session will discuss paired kidney exchange, the benefits, challenges and their outcomes.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify the benefits an individual may gain by participating in a paired kidney donation program.
2. Discuss the various approaches to matching and allocation in paired kidney donation.
3. State new developments in paired kidney exchange strategies for successful outcomes.

11:15 a.m.

The Future of Xenotransplantation, Robert Redfield III, MD

In light of the lack of supply of human organs for transplantation, several alternatives have been investigated and debated. These include xenotransplantation and the challenges of immunologic and biologic barriers, as well as ethical issues in relation to xenotransplantation. This session will discuss the benefits/risk-to-benefit analysis and the future role of xenotransplantation.

Learning objectives:

1. Recognize the future role of xenotransplantation.
2. Describe the risks and benefits of xenotransplantation.
3. Discuss the ethical issues surrounding xenotransplantation.

12:15 p.m.

Lunch (provided) — Exhibits Open

1:15 p.m.

Are We Putting the Horse Before the CAR T? Natalie Callander, MD

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is thought to bring a new era in cancer immunotherapy. This field has rapidly advanced from a promising form of immuno-oncology in preclinical models, to CAR T-cells therapy to treat leukemia and lymphoma. This session will discuss the role of CAR T-cell therapy, main genetic modification strategies, risk factors and safety, as well as outcomes.

Learning objectives:

1. Explain the emerging role of CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of cancer and outcomes seen to date.
2. Discuss the basic design of CAR T-cell therapy.
3. State the risk factors associated with CAR T-cell therapy.

2:15 p.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

2:30 p.m.

Transplanting Hepatitis C+ Donors in Hepatitis C- Recipients, John Rice, MD

Despite many efforts to increase the size of the donor pool, there is a large and growing disparity between the number of donors and the number of patients on the transplant waiting list. New donor pools are needed to satisfy the lack of available donor organs, along with expanded criteria for the existing donor pools. Advances in hepatitis-C therapy has allowed the transplant community to look toward utilization of grafts from hepatitis-C-positive donors to expand the organ pool. This session will discuss strategies to reduce waitlist mortality and increase transplantation rates through expanded criteria relating to hepatitis-C donors to nonviremic recipients.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss strategies to reduce waitlist mortality and increase transplantation rates.
2. Explore expanded criteria for existing donor pools.
3. Describe the risks and benefits of transplanting a HCV(-) recipient with a HCV(+) donor.

3:30 p.m.

Pediatric Kidney Transplantation: Not Just Small Adults, Sharon Bartosh, MD; Lorelei Cavazos, Long Term Kidney Transplant Recipient; and Timothy Sanders, Father, Pediatric Recipient

Renal transplantation is accepted as the treatment choice for children with end-stage renal disease, as it provides better quality of life and improves the chances of long-term survival than other types of renal-replacement therapies. The care of children with kidney disease is complex and requires a strong multidisciplinary team to attend to the challenges of these patients and their families. This session will identify best practices for pediatric kidney transplantation and show how it differs from those of adults in terms of growth issues, nonadherence to medications, and transition into adulthood.

Learning objectives:

1. Compare and contrast best practices for pediatric versus adult kidney transplantation in terms of growth issues, nonadherence to medications, and transition into adulthood.
2. Discuss complications of kidney transplantation in children.
3. Describe the essential resources needed for pediatric kidney transplantation.

4:30 p.m.

Adjourn

7:30 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast — Exhibits Open

8:30 a.m.

Opening Remarks

8:45 a.m.

Normothermic Organ Preservation, Tony D'Alessandro, MD

Normothermic machine preservation (NMP) is a promising preservation technology that has the potential to dramatically increase organ utilization. The key role for this technology is to increase the number and quality of solid-organ grafts available for transplantation and to reduce waiting list deaths. This session will discuss the concept of normothermic organ preservation and its role in transplantation and explore the benefits and risks of normothermic machine perfusion for the   preservation of organs.

Learning objectives:

1. Examine the concept of NMP and its role in transplantation.
2. Discuss NMP systems and their potential long-term impact on graft survival.
3. Describe the benefits and risks of normothermic machine perfusion for the   preservation of organs.

9:45 a.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

10:00 a.m.

Pancreas Transplantation for Type-2 Diabetes (T2D): Evidence-based Practice,
Jon Odorico, MD

Solid-organ pancreas transplantation for individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) have demonstrated improvements in quality of life, and with the ability to abrogate the complications of dysregulated glucose control has now allowed the procedure to be offered to many with type-2 diabetes. Indications and patient selection, however, are critical both to individual outcomes and to further advance national support of pancreas transplantation for all. This session will discuss patient demographics that remain important in the evaluation and transplantation of patients with type-2 DM.

Learning objectives:

1. Outline indications and patient selection for pancreas transplantation.
2. Discuss patient demographics that remain important in the evaluation and transplantation of patients with type-2 DM.
3. Explain pancreas transplant outcomes for patients with type-2 vs. type-1 diabetes.

11:00 a.m.

Strategies to Transplant Patients with Low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) Scores, Luis Fernandez, MD, FACS and Patti Jackson, Living Liver Donor

The MELD score, which estimates mortality within 90 days, determines priority for liver transplantation. However, longer-term outcomes on the waitlist for individuals who are initially listed with low MELD scores are not well characterized. This effect may represent a population who were listed with serious complications of liver disease but without evidence of significantly abnormal MELD component values. Individuals with low-listing MELD scores remain at a significant risk for death due to liver-related causes and may benefit from early access to transplantation. This session will identify individuals who are at risk for waitlist mortality and address strategies to provide transplant to patients with low MELD scores.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify individuals with low-listing MELD scores and at risk for death due to liver-related causes who may benefit from early access to transplantation.
2. Explore strategies to provide transplant to individuals with low MELD scores.
3. Be aware of updates in the use of hepatitis-C-positive donors to hepatitis-C-negative recipients, as well as results of donation after circulatory determination of death using the UK DCD Risk Score.

12:00 p.m.

Lunch (provided) — Exhibits Open

1:00 p.m.

Updates in Lung Transplantation, Daniel P. McCarthy, MD, MBA, MEM

Lung transplantation is a complex therapy with a significant risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Lung transplantation should be considered for patients with advanced lung disease whose clinical status has progressively declined despite maximal medical or surgical therapy. This session will provide updates in guidelines for recipient selection that have been developed by the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the disease-specific indications. The advantages and disadvantages of the different types of lung transplantation will also be discussed.

Learning objectives:

1. State updates of the ISHLT guidelines for lung transplantation.
2. List disease-specific indications for lung transplantation.
3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of lung  transplantation.

2:00 p.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

2:15 p.m.

End-Stage Heart Failure: Drugs, Devices or a New Heart? Ravi Dhingra, MD, MPH and Dave Weigel, Heart Transplant Recipient

Patients with heart failure typically experience a progressive decline in physical functioning and a gradual increase in symptom severity. Interventions can be initiated to reduce the symptoms for these individuals and improve their quality of life. This session will discuss treatment options available to manage individuals with advanced heart failure, specifically focusing on medical management, assist devices and transplantation.

Learning objectives:

1. Describe the role of heart transplantation in the management of individuals with advanced heart failure.
2. Discuss univentricular and biventricular mechanical assist devices as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy for individuals with advanced heart failure.
3. Outline advances in medical management for individuals with advanced heart failure.

2:45 p.m.

New Approaches to Heart Organ Recovery, Jason Smith, MD

Cardiac transplantation is the best treatment available for patients with end-stage heart failure, but the shortage of donor hearts is the main factor limiting the use of this treatment. Advancing organ preservation for transplantation by developing innovative medical technologies and support systems to preserve and protect donor organs is essential to meet the needs of organ shortages and transform outcomes posttransplantation.

Learning objectives:

1. Examine interventions through organ preservation to enhance organ recovery and utilization.
2. Identify innovative medical technologies and support systems to preserve and protect donor organs.

3:15 p.m.

What’s New from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)?
Maryl R. Johnson, MD, FACC

UNOS manages the national transplant waiting list through policy, education and technology. It brings together the transplant community to develop policies that make the best use of the limited supply of organs and give all patients a fair, unbiased chance at receiving the organ they need. This session will discuss changes in UNOS policies that may impact waitlist mortality, outcomes, and provider and patient satisfaction.

Learning objectives:

1. Summarize the recent changes in several organ allocation systems, including the reasons for these changes.
2. State how changes in the UNOS policies may impact waitlist mortality, outcomes, and provider and patient satisfaction.
3. Explain how an increase in deceased donation is due to increased usage of donors with a broader set of medical criteria than was considered in the past.

4:15 p.m.

Adjourn