Link to AST Website

Link to ASTS Website

Guest Editor: Dr. Atul Humar

Read this Virtual Issue on Infectious Disease Issues in Organ Transplantation.

This virtual issue brings together a collection of papers in the field of transplant infectious diseases. These include original manuscripts published in AJT as well as recent mini-reviews. Transplant ID has witnessed significant advances in the last decade. These have occurred in all areas and encompass basic, translational and clinical research. Morbidity and mortality from certain infections (e.g. CMV) have decreased significantly although new challenges continuously arise. The selected articles highlight some of the recent advances in Transplant ID. For example, molecular diagnostic techniques have revolutionized our approach to common pathogens in transplant recipients and are routinely employed in strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of common viral pathogens such as CMV and EBV. The modern immunosuppression era has also witnessed the emergence of new pathogens and disease entities such as BK virus associated nephropathy. Transplant programs have readily adapted to these new threats by adopting novel screening and prevention strategies. The changing global epidemiology of infections including the geographic spread of infections (e.g. West Nile virus), the emergence of novel respiratory viruses (novel H1N1 influenza), and others have highlighted the unique susceptibility of transplant recipients to emerging pathogens. It has also become clear that prevention and treatment strategies for common pathogens and disease entities must evolve to match changes in immunosuppression. Despite advances, there is always room for much more progress in a number of areas of transplant ID including donor derived infections, fungal disease, and in the search for new therapies for viruses such as BK virus, EBV, and others. The papers selected here highlight some of the more recent important developments, clinical trials, and reviews that have been published in AJT. We have focused primarily on clinical and translational findings that have direct relevance to the care of the transplant patient.

Virtual Issue compiled online 30 Nov 2009