The prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is significantly higher in patients with end-stage renal disease compared to the general population and poses important clinical challenges in patients who…
Leonardo Riella07/2016
B cells play a central role in antibody-mediated rejection and certain auto-immune diseases. However, B-cell-targeted therapy such as anti-CD20 B cell-depleting antibody(aCD20) has yielded mixed results in improving outcomes. In…
Leonardo Riella06/2016
Facial transplantation is a life-changing procedure for patients with severe composite facial defects. However, skin is the most immunogenic of all transplants and better understanding of the immunological processes after…
Leonardo Riella01/2016
A high-salt diet (HSD) in humans is linked to a number of complications, including hypertension and cardiovascular events. Whether a HSD affects the immune response in transplantation is unknown. Using…
Leonardo Riella04/2015
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have been used in transplantation with the hope of minimizing calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-induced nephrotoxicity. However, mTOR inhibitors are also associated with a range of…
Leonardo Riella10/2014
Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is commonly used as an induction therapy in renal transplant recipients, but the ideal dosage in tacrolimus-based early steroid withdrawal protocols has not been established. The…
Leonardo Riella08/2014
BACKGROUND: More than 30% of potential kidney transplant recipients have pre-existing anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies. This subgroup has significantly lower transplant rates and increased mortality. Desensitization has become an important…
Leonardo Riella06/2014
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune tolerance and hold great promise as cell therapy for a variety of immune-mediated diseases. However, the cellular…
Leonardo Riella09/2013
The Notch pathway is an important intercellular signaling pathway that plays a major role in controlling cell fate. Accumulating evidence indicates that Notch and its ligands present on antigen-presenting cells…
Leonardo Riella06/2013