For several years, kidneys infected with Hepatitis C have been considered unfit for transplants due to the risk for transmission. However, with a new wave of antiviral medications shown to cure Hepatitis C, doctors at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University are planning to attempt transplants with kidneys from deceased Hepatitis C carriers. The patient who receives the kidney would then undergo a 12-week antiviral drug regimen to treat the disease.
The trial’s leaders caution that the drugs won’t work for every participant, but argue the process has the potential to eliminate the waste that comes with the disposal of infected kidneys. Researchers say more research is needed to determine an exact cost plan, but expect the first-of-its-kind trials to begin later in the spring.
