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Tribune... and its Sectionsl Cell Transplant Society l International Hand and Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Society l International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association l
l International Society for Organ Donation & Procurement l International Xenotransplantation Association l Intestinal Transplant Association l Transplant Infectious Disease l
IN THISISSUE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
UPDATE
DICGMEETINGREPORT65 9MEMBERSHIP
SERVICES
April 2012 • Volume IX • Issue I OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE TRANSPLANTATION SOCIETY
24th International Congress of The Transplantation Society
THE COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED • BERLIN 2012
THE PERFECT VENUEWe have now entered the final stage of the preparation of thescientific and cultural program for the 24th InternationalCongress of The Transplantation Society in Berlin, Germany thissummer. Berlin is already well known as the capital of Germanywith over 100,000 sociocultural events a year that attract roughly9 million guests. Yet Berlin is also the European congress capitaland the perfect venue for TTS’ upcoming congress .
AT A GLANCEThe Postgraduate Weekend on July 14-15, 2012 will precede thecongress and has been organized by Stefan Tullius, BernardBanas and Wolf O. Bechstein. The plenary session will open theweekend with a focus on equity in organ allocation. We arelooking forward to an exciting discussion on the controversialtopic of whether allocation criteria are really evidence-based orwhether allocation should rather be outcome-oriented. Diverseconcurrent workshops on Saturday will consider important
July 15 - 19, 2012
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www.transplantation2012.org
Featuring a versatile and exciting scientific programspanning disciplines from clinical transplantation to basic science
clinical and immunological issues ranging from current conceptsof chronic rejection to innate immunity. Sunday will focus onvarious aspects related to the topic: “How to make a career intransplantation and how to fund research in transplantation”.We believe that this topic will be of high interest, especially foryoung transplant surgeons, physicians and scientists. Finally, onSunday, July 15, 2012 at 18:00, we will draw the curtain as theCongress Chair, Peter Neuhaus, and the Co-Chair for theGerman Transplant Society (DTG), Wolf O. Bechstein, will openthe 24th International Congress of The Transplantation Societywith a warm welcome to international delegates from over60 countries around the globe. The opening ceremony will bemusically accompanied by the Berlin Comedian Harmonists,who will bring back the vibrant atmosphere of the GoldenTwenties. Afterwards, the Welcome Reception will provide agreat opportunity for meeting old friends and making new ones.
he 24th International Congress of The Transplantation Society in Berlin iscoming closer by giant steps! July 15-19,
2012 are the dates to be marked in your calendar.As TTS President, I have the honour of officiallyopening the Congress at the Opening Ceremonyand welcoming you all to Berlin. To date, wellover 2,000 abstracts have already been receivedfor review—with late breaking abstracts still tocome. I look forward to meeting everyone at the2012 Congress.
The Organizing Committee is doing anoutstanding job and nearly all of the invitedplenary speakers have already accepted—the listis impressive. For the next phase of congresspreparation, over 200 experts in varioussubspecialties of transplantation have beenenlisted to review and grade the abstracts inorder to achieve the highest level of expertiseand fairness. I am grateful to the many TTSmembers who have volunteered to serve asreviewers. Expert reviewing is a time consumingbut necessary task, essential for composing anup-to-date and well-balanced congress program.
On-line congress registration is now possible at:transplantation2012.org/registration.php.Members will be pleased to see that all TTSmembers in good standing enjoy a substantialreduction in registration fees for the BerlinCongress. Considering the reduced fees theyalso enjoy when attending the TTS sectioncongresses and meetings, TTS membership isnot only professionally but also financiallyrewarding.
Tribune is published three times per yearby The Transplantation Society (TTS). Viewsexpressed in news and feature articles arethose of the individual quoted.TTS gratefully acknowledges the CorporatePartners whose generous support makes thework of the Society possible:Astellas Pharma Inc.Bristol-Myers SquibbF. Ho'man-La Roche Ltd.Genzyme CorporationNovartis Pharma AGOne LambdaP(zer
Editor in ChiefHenrik EkbergContributorsKareem Abu-ElmagdChristine S. BrownMarcelo CantarovichJeremy ChapmanAnita ChongHenrik EkbergBernhard HeringGünter KirsteCamille KottonAdeera LevinElmi MullerAlexandra MurphyPeter NeuhausGerhard OpelzStephen StromStefan G. Tullius
International HeadquartersThe Transplantation SocietyInternational Headquarters1255 University Street, Suite 605Montreal, QC H3B 3V9 CANADAT. +1.514.874.1717F. +1.514.874.1716E. [email protected]. www.tts.orgPlease contact any of our dedicated staF for anyassistance you may require:Jean-Pierre Mongeau,Director of Headquarter [email protected] Picciano,Director of Professional [email protected] Lindo Verissimo,Exhibits [email protected] Parker, Project [email protected] Colarusso, Technologies [email protected] Murphy, Membership Services [email protected] Beliaevski, Multimedia [email protected] Nakanishi, Accounting Clerk (Meetings) &Registration [email protected] Mayer, Accounting Clerk (IHQ)[email protected] Williams, Receptionist &Administrative [email protected]
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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Gerhard OpelzTTS President
Those who are already established members areencouraged to ensure that the junior members intheir departments are aware of the many benefitsof membership. TTS would be proud to havethem join us in representing the transplant fieldworldwide.
The year 2012 is an exciting year for TTS andits membership. Please join us at this year´sscientific and social highlight, the BerlinCongress on July 15-19, 2012.
T
here are a great number of TTS activities going on at thistime. I would like to take this opportunity to highlightsome of them for you.
NEW INITIATIVES FROM THEEDUCATION COMMITTEEThe TTS Education Committee (chaired by Marcelo Cantarovichand Elmi Muller) has been active recently with new ventures toincrease members’ knowledge, find ways to share expertise,and increase impact in schools.
Monthly webinars continue to be organized on a variety of topicsin the field of transplantation. You are invited to join us for thelive presentation and discussion, or to view the recording at yourleisure on www.tts.org. Try them out any time you have a sparemoment to devote to your continued medical education.
We applaud the Education Committee’s most recentventure—a bi-weekly email update called “Do You Know?”that features commentaries on scientific articles of topinterest, as well as announcements of upcoming webinars andother educational resources. Members are welcome tosuggest articles and give comments.
Read more about the Education Committee’s initiatives on pagesix of this newsletter.
SUCCESSFUL 2011 SECTION MEETINGSAt the end of 2011, several TTS sections had meetings thatwere all successful and very well attended. In April, theInternational Hand and Composite Tissue AllotransplantationSociety met in Atlanta. In June, the TTS Basic ScienceCommittee held a joint symposium with ESOT in Cape Cod. Inearly September, the Transplant Infectious Disease section metin Glasgow and, in mid-September, the Intestinal TransplantAssociation members attended the XII International SmallBowel Transplant Symposium in Washington.
Henrik Ekberg
DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS REPORT
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Don’t miss any of TTS’ upcomingmeetings, activities and initiatives in2012 and 2013!
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In October, the Cell Transplant Society and the InternationalXenotransplantation Association held a Joint InternationalCongress in Miami, and in November the 11th InternationalSociety for Organ Donation and Procurement Congressattracted members and guests from all over the globe toBuenos Aires. These and the rest of TTS’ sections are alreadymaking plans for their next meetings, which will take place in2013. Visit our website at www.tts.org for further information onall our meetings.
DECLARATION OF ISTANBUL CUSTODIANGROUP (DICG) MEETING IN BUENOS AIRESSince 2008, the DICG, co-chaired by Jeremy Chapman (TTS) andAdeera Levin (ISN), continues to promote and implement theDeclaration of Istanbul. You can read more about their successfulmeeting in Buenos Aires in November 2011 on page nine of thisnewsletter, as well as follow ongoing updates, events and reportson their website, www.declarationofistanbul.org, edited byGabriel Danovitch. Future efforts include an annual meeting, totake place alternate years at the TTS or ISN congress. This year’smeeting will be in Berlin in July at the TTS International Congress.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2012For 2012, the highlight of the year is obviously the TTSInternational Congress in Berlin, but TTS will organize andsupport other meetings this year as well—the 3rd InternationalConference on Transplantomics and Biomarkers in OrganTransplantation in La Jolla, California that was held in March
(chaired by Daniel R. Salomon), an Antibody ConsensusConference on solid phase antibody assays in Rome in May(chaired by Gerhard Opelz), the 6th International TransplantInfectious Disease Conference (chaired by Camille Kotton and co-chaired by Kaiser Laurent and Clarisse Martins Machado) to beheld on July 15th in Berlin, and a CMV Consensus Meeting inSeptember (co-chaired by Camille Kotton and Atul Humar) toupdate the current guidelines.
CTS ORGAN TRANSPLANT REGISTRY UPDATEIn the most recent issue of Tribune, we announced a newpartnership between TTS and the Collaborative Transplant Study(CTS) organ transplant registry. Many transplant centres aroundthe world do not have access to necessary software fordocumentation and analysis of their patient outcomes aftertransplantation. As a result of this partnership, all TTS membersare offered a CTS software package specifically developed fortransplant documentation and analysis at individual transplantcentres. Many members have already contacted us, and we arecurrently working on finding suitable solutions for their needs.We are also grateful to those who have offered to provide datafrom their existing transplant databases to the internationalscientific registry. Specific information on how to contribute tothe registry or obtain this software can be acquired by contactingthe TTS Director of Headquarter Services at [email protected].
he Transplant Infectious Disease section had an exciting meetingin Glasgow, Scotland in September, with world-class speakers andexcellent updates in the field. These lectures can be viewed by
TID and TTS members online for free at www.tid2011.org. We will haveanother similar meeting on Sunday, July 15, 2012 in Berlin, just beforethe start of the 24th International Congress of The TransplantationSociety. All TTS members are encouraged to attend this stimulating andclinically relevant meeting. Our section has undertaken an initiative forinfectious disease guidelines for composite tissue transplantation. Inaddition, we will be updating the widely used international guidelinesregarding cytomegalovirus management after organ transplantation,initially published by our group in 2010. We would warmly welcome newmembers, especially those with fresh ideas regarding transplantinfectious disease issues.
TID SECTION UPDATE 6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNOUCEMENT
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Camille N. KottonChair
Kaiser LaurentCo-Chair
Clarisse Martins MachadoCo-Chair
DMA REPORT(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)
TID 2012ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
ith over 5,000 TTS members and 1,000 sectionmembers, the Membership Services Coordinatorplays a vital role in ensuring ongoing satisfaction
with TTS services. Alexandra Murphy, our new MembershipServices Coordinator since last August, has been workingdiligently with our technology group to improve processes tobetter serve our members. The sheer number of members,along with their geographic diversity and presence in multipletime zones, makes satisfying their need for information in atimely fashion a formidable task. While some members mayonly connect with Alexandra once a year when the annualinvoices are sent, there are many other services she providesthat you should be familiar with.
Alexandra’s relationship with members starts right from the dayan individual applies for membership. It is her responsibility toguide the person’s application through the process of approvalby the TTS Membership Committee, the different SectionPresidents and of course, the TTS Councilors and Officers.Always on the lookout to improve procedures, she monitors theapproval process and strives to reduce delay so the applicantcan benefit from their association with TTS as soon as possibleafter applying.
TTS membership brings many benefits, not the least of which isaccess to a wealth of information on www.tts.org. Through the“Members Only” section of the website, you can update yourcontact info, access the membership directory, listen towebinars, watch multimedia presentations and much more. Asthe Membership Services Coordinator, Alexandra can help youderive the most from your online experience by pointing you inthe right direction to find what you’re looking for.
One of Alexandra’s goals is to help grow membershipexponentially in both the Society and in the Sections. As ourmembership becomes stronger and more diverse, moreopportunities for teaching, learning and collaboration developamong our network of experts. One of the great advantages ofbeing an international society is that TTS operates not only atthe local or national levels but at the global level, where novelapproaches and new research findings are more likely toemerge and initiatives in the field of transplantation can have aworldwide impact.
In addition to personal associations, TTS membership alsoprovides you with structured opportunities for professionaldevelopment. Getting involved in TTS activities such aswebinars, committees and meetings means that you can learnfrom and collaborate with an international community of
professionals who are experts in their fields. Many of theseactivities use technology to help bridge the geographical gapsbetween members and make connections possible via onlineplatforms. These educational opportunities are not to be missed!
Finally, as a TTS member, you can take advantage of additionalmembership perks such as discounted rates for journalsubscriptions, reduced congress registration fees, and eligibility fortravel awards. Log into your TTS account and have a look at whatis available to you. These savings are offered with you in mind!
Alexandra is always available to answer your questions anddiscuss your concerns. She can be reached directly at TTSInternational Headquarters via email: [email protected] orphone: 514-874-1717. Or when you come to the 2012 Congressin Berlin this summer, drop by the TTS booth and introduceyourself. Alexandra will be happy to assist you with whatevermembership information you may require.
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MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COORDINATORALWAYS READY TO SERVE!
Alexandra Murphy, Membership Services Coordinator
Through the “Members Only” section of the website, you can update your contact info, access the membership directory, listen to webinars, watch multimedia presentations and much more.
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ONLINE PATIENT MATERIALSThe members of TTS Education Committee reviewed thecurrently available web-based information material addressed topatients. A selection of the most important websites has beenselected and posted on TTS webpage.
EODTS WORKING GROUP AND FORUMThe Working Group on Education on Organ Donation andTransplantation for Schools (EODTS) has been created to bringtogether people from around the world who are involved with theeducation of school children in the field of organ donation andtransplantation. This working group is open to all TTS membersand non-members and its goal is to expand knowledge aboutorgan donation and transplantation at school level worldwide. A 2nd EODTS Forum meeting will take place in Berlin on July 15,2012, for members of the working group. Please visit the TTSwebpage (www.tts.org) for more information.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT/GAP ANALYSIS SURVEYA Needs Assessment/Gap Analysis survey is available forcompletion on TTS webpage at www.tts.org/educationsurvey.We encourage TTS members to complete the survey. This willhelp the TTS Education Committee address more educationalneeds in the future.
DO YOU KNOW?The Education Committee is very enthusiastic about our neweducational activity called “Do You Know?”. The aim of thisproject is to broaden our members’ general knowledge bysupplying a short summary of an article recently published in apeer reviewed journal. The commentary is published via emailon a bi-weekly basis, and provides an easy read to the member,with the option of linking to the full article or any of thereferences on PubMed.
TTS WEBINARSWebinars, a now very familiar and long-standing teaching tool,continue to attract many of our members. Each webinar featuresa 20-30 minute slide presentation followed by a question andanswer discussion period. In the last year, several TTS membersfrom different regions have been invited to chair webinars on a variety of topics, including: Transplant Infectious Disease(Jay Fishman, USA), Medication Adherence (Bethany Foster,Canada), HLA-Antibodies (Denis Glotz, France), and Non-invasive Biomarkers (Peter Nickerson, Canada). The onlinediscussion format provides a lively and interactive space forparticipants. The webinars are also available as podcasts formembers who were unable to participate in the live discussion.
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE UPDATE
Marcelo Cantarovich, Chair Elmi Muller, Co-Chair
Look for the Education Committee eblasts
in your email!
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From Monday, July 16th to Thursday, July 19th, a versatile andexciting scientific program spanning disciplines from clinicaltransplantation to basic science will be presented by a largenumber of worldwide-established experts. We will have 26Sunrise Symposia and 37 State-of-the-Art Symposia.Furthermore, extraordinary highlights will be presented in sixplenary sessions. We are very fortunate to enlist outstandinginternational experts such as Peter Friend, who will speak on“Organ Scarcity: How Can We Meet Increasing Demands?” andAngus W. Thomson, who will introduce the work of the 2011Nobel Prize Laureate Ralph Steinman. To highlight the “Progressand Challenges in Transplantation Surgery,” selected pioneerswill present their insights on Thursday, July 19th. Hans Sollingerwill focus on kidney and pancreas, Bruce A. Reitz on heart andlung, and Ron Busuttil on liver and intestine. The President’sPlenary on Wednesday, July 18th features the 2008 Nobel PrizeLaureate Harald zur Hausen, with an outstanding presentation ononcogenic viruses.
Gerhard Opelz will give his presidentialaddress prior to honouring theawardees of the Young InvestigatorAwards, Recognition Awards, TTS-Asturias Award for InternationalCooperation as well as the MedawarPrize. A special homage will also bepaid to Leslie Baruch Brent.
The state-of-the-art sessions will give acomprehensive overview ofcontemporary transplantation medicinecovering a wide range of topics fromclinical issues such as intestinal orcomposite tissue transplantation tobasic science topics like innate immunityor the role of microRNAs. Early riserswill be rewarded with valuableConcurrent Sunrise Symposia. They willaddress important subjects from “NewTargets for Immunomodulation” todifferent aspects of tolerance induction.Furthermore, ethical issues such astransplant tourism as well as innovationsin intestinal and multivisceraltransplantation will be discussed.
More than 2,000 submitted abstracts prepare the ground forapproximately 50 concurrent oral sessions, 40 mini oral sessionsand an extensive poster exhibition. All accepted posters will beprinted on-site and displayed in traditional printed format. Inaddition, convenient poster lounges will provide electronic posterdisplays to promote a scientific exchange in a communicativeatmosphere. The mini oral sessions will build bridges betweenconventional poster presentation and full oral presentations.
In addition to the scientific program, delegates will experience anexciting city with a wide range of cultural opportunities. As agateway to Eastern Europe, the city offers almost innumerablecultural sights and a multitude of museums and theatres. To topeverything off, after an exciting and interesting day at thecongress, Berlin’s bars and nightclubs invite you to a relaxingevening.
In case you have not submitted your abstract yet, there is anopportunity to do so during the Late Breaking AbstractSubmission period from April 15 to May 7, 2012.
To stay up-to-date with information please visit our website atwww.transplantation2012.org and join our mailing list or followus on Twitter @TTS2012.
On behalf of The Transplantation Society and the DeutscheTransplantationsgesellschaft, we are delighted to welcome youto our colourful and cosmopolitan city and to the24th International Congress!
COUNTDOWN TO BERLIN 2012(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)
Harald zur Hausen2008 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Peter NeuhausCongress Chair
Wolf O. BechsteinCongress Co-Chair
iscoveries in the basic sciences have been critical inmoving the clinical practice of organ transplantationforward. Both clinicians/scientists and full-time basic
researchers contribute in bringing transplantation to a newlevel. In the past two years, the Basic Science Committee,chaired by Anita Chong, University of Chicago and Stefan G.Tullius, Harvard Medical School, has focused on supportingyoung researchers and the relationship between mentor andmentee. At the 2012 Berlin Congress, TTS will present up to atotal of 34 International Basic Science Mentee-Mentor Awards.TTS is extremely proud that 29 of these awards are inpartnership with 8 societies: Australian/New Zealand (TSANZ),British (BTS), Canadian (CST), European (ESOT), French (SFT),German (DTG), and Japanese (JTS) transplantation societies. Atotal of 5 Mentee-Mentor Awards for applications fromemerging economies will be supported solely by TTS.
The Basic Science Committee recently received applications for abrand-new TTS International Basic Science Research ExchangeFellowship program (application submission closed on April 1st).Two series of five research fellowships will support establishedinvestigators and trainees, respectively, to travel from their hostinstitutions to another laboratory for 3, 6 or 12 months to developnew research collaborations/directions or technologies. Awardwinners will be announced at the 2012 Berlin Congress in July.
The Berlin Congress has a lot to offer—the Mentee-Mentor andResearch awards are only a few of the attractions designedspecifically for basic scientists. Awards will be presented at thenetworking event hosted by the TTS Basic Science Committeeand co-sponsored by the German Transplantation Society. Pleasebe on the lookout for details and plan to come to congratulatewinners, meet up with old friends and colleagues and make newones. We are looking forward to seeing you in Berlin!
he Women in Transplantation (WIT) group is proud toshare with our members our upcoming events for 2012.Over the last few years, many women have had the
opportunity to attend one of our WIT networking events, whichare linked to international congresses in the field oftransplantation. These events give professional women theopportunity to get to know each other better and have been thestart of many new friendships. The next networking event willtake place in Berlin on July 16, 2012 and features a lunch and atalk by Dr. Elmi Muller from South Africa. She will ask thequestion: “Do you treat Rottweilers or Poodles?” to inspire heraudience to reflect on women’s roles in medicine andtransplantation and how we are different from our male
colleagues. The next morning, conversation will continue in thisfield with speakers Prof. Regine Rapp-Engels from Germany, Dr.Beatriz Dominguez-Gil from Spain and Prof. Del Kahn fromSouth Africa at an early morning symposium. Feminization inmedicine as a general trend and the implications for theworkplace will be discussed—we hope to see some of our malecolleagues at this session as well. The WIT group is one of thefastest growing groups in TTS and it attracts more and morepeople every year. Our recently started mentorship programmewill also provide some opportunities to younger clinicians andscientists to obtain input into their careers and the choices theymake. We hope to include abstracts from mentors and menteesat TTS’ International Congress in Berlin in July as well.
WOMEN IN TRANSPLANTATION UPDATE
BASIC SCIENCE COMMITTEE UPDATE
Stephan G. Tullius, Co-ChairAnita Chong, Chair
D
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TSANZThe Transplantation Society ofAustralia and New Zealand
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he Declaration of Istanbul (DOI) has been adoptedand endorsed all over the world—more than110 organisations have examined the declaration and
decided that it meets their needs to assist in the appropriateprotection of living donors and the enhancement oftransplantation activity.
To ensure that the DOI principles become realities in practice,the DOI is supported by working groups of committedindividuals, organized under the umbrella of the Declaration ofIstanbul Custodian Group (DICG). In practical terms, the workinggroups oversee a series of important activities that uphold theDOI principles. This means that referees consider the principlesof the DOI in their assessment of papers submitted to journalson a transplantation subject, grant funding agencies considerthe origin of organs when assessing for funding, pharmaceuticalcompanies ensure that the clinical research programs theycontract or support do not abuse the living donors, institutionalreview boards have guidelines to which they may turn whenconsidering a specialist transplantation protocol, and organizersof meetings ensure that all presenters uphold the principles ofDOI. These activities do not happen in these variousenvironments automatically, or simply, or quickly. There is muchwork to be done to sustain the efforts: the Declaration ofIstanbul Custodian Group is putting in the effort.
The DICG met in November 2011 in Buenos Aires, just beforethe International Society of Organ Donation and Procurementcongress. The group discussed the progress of the DOI over thepast year and concentrated on each of the working groups’plans for the next year. As examples of planned activities, weare hoping to encourage more journal editors to take up theDOI overtly in their author instructions and advice to referees.This would help to establish more regular reporting of activitiesthat support the DOI by national organizations, and to developmethods by which to overtly document the outcomes of bothbest and poor practices in different regions. Working with theinfrastructures of The Transplantation Society (TTS) and theInternational Society of Nephrology (ISN), the DICG continuesits work to improve global practices in transplantation.Ultimately, our intention is to provide a handbook of the DOI forpeople in different environments and different professions so thatthose formal groups or societies that have endorsed the DOI canhave a simple guide and set of tools to help them implementspecific activities. Through sharing what others have implementedsuccessfully, we hope to impact practices in a sustainable way.Watch this space for further news of our progress.
DECLARATION OF ISTANBUL CUSTODIAN GROUPREPORT FROM BUENOS AIRES 2011
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TDICG members met in Buenos Aires to discuss DOI progress and future plans.
XIII INTERNATIONAL SMALL BOWEL TRANSPLANT SYMPOSIUM
www.isbts2013.org
he Intestinal Transplant Association (ITA) has been anofficial section of TTS for nearly a decade. It was createdin 2003 at the VIII International Small Bowel Transplant
Symposium in Miami, Florida, reflecting the joint vision that thelate Professor Richard Wood (England) and Kareem Abu-Elmagd(USA) shared in 1999 at the VI Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska.The association was established as a formalized and unifiedgroup of professionals with a common interest in gut failure,rehabilitation, and transplantation.
Since the first meeting held in London in 1989, there have beentwelve biannual International Small Bowel Transplant Symposia,alternating locations between Europe and United States. Themost recent successful reunion in Washington, DC in September2011 was a testimony of the association’s vital role in the field ofclinical and academic evolution. The meeting witnessed advancesin mucosal immunology, tissue engineering, gut rehabilitation,and visceral transplantation. Awards were given to younginvestigators with outstanding experimental and clinical work.
With the establishment of global leadership in gastrointestinalrehabilitation and transplantation, the association’s mission is tocontinue to save and enhance the lives of gut failure patientswith novel medical and innovative surgical management,including reconstructive and transplant surgery. ITA’s currentgoals are to further enhance communication and organizationaleffectiveness, create a community of practice, facilitateresearch, and increase membership.
Our next meeting, the 13th International Small BowelTransplant Symposium chaired byProf. Peter Friend, will be held inOxford, UK in June 2013. Stay tunedfor more information coming soon.
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INTESTINAL TRANSPLANT ASSOCIATION UPDATE
CELL TRANSPLANT SOCIETY UPDATE
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n Cell Transplantation Society news, the national Phenylketonuria Alliance just issued a bulletin toall of its members, and is posting on its website a message announcing that at the University ofPittsburgh, a clinical trial of hepatocyte transplantation to treat PKU in adult patients has become
active and patients are being recruited for consideration. Writing on behalf of its members, ChristineBrown, Executive Director of the National PKU Alliance, issued this statement:
The National PKU Alliance commends the researchers at the University of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter on the opening of their clinical trial of hepatocyte liver cell transplantation for the treatmentof PKU adults. The NPKUA supports hepatocyte transplantation research in PKU mice through thefunding of two University of Pittsburgh fellows, Dr. Kristen Skvorak-Vallieu and Dr. RobertoGramignoli. Encouraging results have been found with hepatocyte transplantation when used inPKU mice and in other inborn errors of metabolism diseases. This will be the first time hepatocytetransplantation will be used in PKU adults. The NPKUA is excited about the advances the newclinical trial will bring. To learn more about the hepatocyte transplantation clinical trial, please visitthe National Institute of Health clinical trial website.
The latest information on hepatocyte liver cell transplantation will be presented at our 2012National Conference held July 26-29, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ. Pleasewatch for upcoming announcements about registration, as you will not want to miss learning thelatest on this amazing research. We hope you join us in Making PKU History!
I
he ISODP Congress in Buenos Aires in November 2011was a big success—949 professionals participated, withmore than 74% from Argentina and South America. The
congress offered an opportunity for extensive exchange ofknowledge against an excellent scientific background spanningthe entire fields of organ donation, organ procurement anddonor management. Of course, it gave the opportunity for a lotof discussion among specialists to learn from each other andcompare their methods. Dr. Carlos Soratti and his colleagues arecongratulated for their work and organisation that made thisevent possible, especially in a time of tight financial resources.During the conference, the ISODP members decided that thenext meetings will take place in Sydney, Australia in 2013 and inSeoul, Korea in 2015.
Today, further development of organ donation is considered anabsolute requirement. In the field of transplantation, betterdistribution of knowledge on how to detect donors in donormanagement, improvements in family approach and family care,and an increased number of investigations are all greatlyneeded. At the recent congress, new techniques for organpreservation, including cold or warm machine perfusion were
discussed, together with aspects of safety and measures in thewhole field of organ and tissue donation. Interest in this field israpidly increasing due to the worldwide spread of as yetunknown infectious and other diseases. Future challengesinclude both providing enough high-quality organs as well asperforming further investigations concerning safety issues.Participants of the Buenos Aires meeting took home state-of-the-art knowledge in this field. Altogether, the meeting wasimpressive and a great success.
INTERNATIONAL XENOTRANSPLANTATION ASSOCIATIONUPDATE
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2011 ORGAN DONATION CONGRESS IN BUENOS AIRES
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he Council of the International XenotransplantationAssociation (IXA) greatly appreciates the leadership of its Immediate Past President, Dr. Emanuele Cozzi,
and the important contributions of Dr. David Sachs, Dr. PierreGianello, and Dr. Takaaki Kobayashi, who served as Councilorsthrough 2011.
Dr. Bernhard Hering, President, and Dr. Peter Cowan, Secretaryand Treasurer, will work with Dr. Takaaki Kobayashi, President-Elect; Dr. Emanuele Cozzi, Immediate Past President; andCouncil members (Drs. Agnes Azimzadeh, Gina Rayat, GillesBlancho, Leo Buhler, Chung-Gyu Park, and Kazahiko Yamada) toadvance i) planning for the 2013 IXA meeting in Osaka, Japan,ii) communications, iii) education, iv) membership, and v)regulatory matters pertinent to xenotransplantation. Dr. RichardPierson III, Past President of IXA, has been appointed Chair ofthe Ethics Committee of IXA and ex-officio non-voting memberof the IXA Council; he will replace Dr. Anthony d’Apice. The IXA Council acknowledges the important contributions ofDr. d’Apice.
IXA and the journalXenotransplantation have jointlyestablished a new annual Xeno Prizeto be awarded, beginning in 2012,to the author of the best originalpaper published in the relevant yearin Xenotransplantation. The XenoPrize Committee will select theawardee from a list of candidatesrecommended by the journal’sAssociate Editors.
Dr. Leo H. Buhler has been named the new Editor-in Chief ofXenotransplantation, the official journal of IXA. He took overfrom Dr. Carl-Gustav Groth, who edited Xenotransplantationfrom 2008 to 2011. The IXA council is profoundly grateful for Dr. Groth’s exemplary leadership and achievements.
IXA would like to refer readers to its website atwww.tts.org/ixa for further updates.
TInternationalXenotransplantationAssociation
The ISODP 2011 Congress was an excellent opportunity todiscuss ideas and exchange knowledge.
4th International Conference onTransplantomics and Biomarkers in Organ TransplantationCambridge, United KingdomSpring 2013www.tts-transplantomics.org
13th International Small Bowel Transplant SymposiumOxford, United KingdomJune 26 - 29, 2013www.isbts.org
12th Congress of the Cell Transplant SocietyMilan, ItalyJuly 7 - 11, 2013www.cts2013.org
XXIV International Congress of The Transplantation SocietyBerlin, GermanyJuly 15-19, 2012www.transplantation2012.org
6th International Transplant Infectious Disease ConferenceBerlin, GermanyJuly 15, 2012www.tid2012.org
11th Meeting of the International Hand andComposite Tissue Allotransplantation SocietyWroclaw, PolandAugust 29 - 31, 2013www.ihctas2013.pl
14th World Congress of theInternational Pancreas and Islet Transplant AssociationMonterey, California, USASeptember 25 - 27, 2013www.ipita2013.org
12th Congress of theInternational Xenotransplantation AssociationOsaka, JapanNovember 10 - 13, 2013www.ixa2013.org
12th Congress of the International Society forOrgan Donation and ProcurementSydney, AustraliaNovember 21 - 24, 2013www.isodp2013.org
PRESIDENTGerhard Opelz
PRESIDENT-ELECTFrancis L. Delmonico
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTJeremy R. Chapman
VICE-PRESIDENTRon Shapiro
SENIOR TREASURERHans Sollinger
TREASURERHenrik Ekberg
SECRETARYJohn Fung
DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AFFAIRSHenrik Ekberg
INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERSJean-Pierre Mongeau, Director of Headquarter ServicesFilomena Picciano, Director of Professional Services
COUNCILORSNancy Ascher (North America) Marcelo Cantarovich (North America)Pierre A. Clavien (Europe)Gabriel Danovitch (North America)Maria Cristina Ribeiro de Castro (Latin America)
Elmi Muller (Middle East / Africa)
Philip O’Connell (Oceania)David Sachs (North America)Vasant Sumethkul (Asia)Annika Tibell (Europe) Satoru Todo (Asia)Andreas Tzakis (North America)
THE TRANSPLANTATION SOCIETY OFFICERS2010–2012
To consolidate its position as the leading global organization, the Council hasrepresentation from all six regions of the world: North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East/Africa, Oceania, and Asia.
UPCOMING MEETINGS 2012 • 2013FOR A LIST OF ALL TRANSPLANTATION MEETINGS PLEASE VISIT WWW.TTS.ORG
