Can a simple blood test guide kidney transplant patients to fewer drugs?
NCT ID NCT04786067
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at 25 kidney transplant patients to see if a blood test measuring donor DNA could help them safely reduce their immunosuppressant medications to just one drug, belatacept. The goal was to see if this approach could prevent kidney rejection while simplifying treatment. Patients were monitored for rejection and other outcomes over 12 to 36 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- belatacept
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could allow some kidney transplant patients to take fewer immunosuppressant drugs, reducing side effects and simplifying their daily routine.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 25 participants. The main risk is that reducing immunosuppression may lead to kidney rejection, which could damage the transplant.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
25 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jul 2021
- Finished
-
Jul 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult (\>18 years) recipients of a kidney-only transplant, including re-transplants * Non-HLA identical Living or Deceased Donor Grafts * Able to provide informed consent * Absence of donor specific antigens * Stable renal function (eGFR\>40mL/min for 3 months prior to enrollment) * Patients treated with Belatacept as part of de novo immunosuppression or converted to Belatacept with stable kidney function for 3 months (as stated above) * Patients who underwent kidney transplantation at least 9 months prior to study entry Exclusion Criteria: * Prior or concurrent non-kidney organ transplants * Presence of BK nephropathy in current graft * Recipient on any other investigational drug in the 12 weeks prior to inclusion * Patient with history of recent (\<3mo), recurrent, or severe (Banff Grade 2 or greater or unable to be treated with steroids) acute rejection episodes * Female participant who is pregnant, lactating or planning pregnancy during the course of the trial * Significant hepatic impairment * Bilateral kidney transplantation * Any other significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the Investigator, may either put the participants at risk because of participation in the trial, or may influence the result of the trial, or the participant's ability to participate in the trial
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Kidney transplant immunosuppression are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.