Researchers at Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón have developed a world-pioneering cell-based treatment to prevent organ transplant rejection. According to the Madrid hospital’s scientists, the therapy may regulate the immune system’s response and prevent rejection.
The treatment, the result of more than six years of research carried out entirely at Gregorio Marañón, could completely inhibit or significantly reduce the immune response responsible for rejection. Its goal is to extend indefinitely the survival of the transplanted organ and the life of the patient.
Researchers explained that three infant heart transplant recipients are already being treated with this technique and are progressing favorably. Nine months after starting therapy, the first patient continues to show no signs of rejection and maintains adequate levels of regulatory cells — a key factor in preventing rejection.
“Although these are preliminary results, they are very encouraging. We believe this could open a new era in the clinical management of immune rejection. Thanks to this therapy, we hope she will be able to keep her new heart for many years,” said Dr. Rafael Correa Rocha, head of the hospital’s Immunoregulation Laboratory and one of the project leaders. The initiative is supported by the Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (ONT) and its Canadian counterpart.
At a press conference, Correa Rocha noted that “sooner or later” transplanted organs are rejected by the immune system. “As a result, most transplanted organs last fewer than 20 years. This is a reality that transplant recipients and their families must face. A transplant is not for life,” he emphasized.
He added that half of pediatric heart transplants fail before 15 years. Currently, immunosuppressive drugs are used to prevent rejection, but they have significant drawbacks. “They are not fully effective in preventing rejection, and treated children have a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases or cancer,” he explained.
Correa Rocha stressed the importance of the research, highlighting that it is the first time in the world that a cell therapy has been developed for transplanted children. He also pointed out that this is the first time thymus-derived cells have been used to regulate immune response and prevent rejection.
The team is also exploring potential applications of the technique in other conditions such as COVID-19, as it “could help restore immune imbalance,” one of the most severe aspects of the disease.
ONT Director Beatriz Domínguez-Gil welcomed the project’s relevance. “What this promises is precisely what we must aspire to and our main priority in transplantation: the generation of immunological tolerance,” she said.
She described the potential impact of the therapy as “impressive.” “It would mean that the transplanted organ integrates with the recipient’s system and is no longer attacked. It could also reduce waiting lists by decreasing the number of patients who require a second transplant,” she added.
The Regional Minister of Health of the Community of Madrid, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, described the development as “another major milestone for Spanish healthcare.” “We are witnessing an unprecedented medical breakthrough. We must continue to firmly support health research,” he concluded.
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