"Revolutionizing Kidney Transplants: Safer Medications and Improved Compatibility"
Kidney transplants typically last around 10 to 15 years, but some individuals have managed to keep their transplanted kidneys for much longer. Sharon Stakofsky-Davis and Denice Lombard received kidneys from their fathers as teenagers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Now in their 60s, both women are still living with their transplanted kidneys, which are over 50 years old. However, the medications used to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ can lead to long-term complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and kidney failure. Researchers are working on alternative approaches to transplantation, including developing drugs that are less toxic and teaching the recipient's immune system to tolerate the donated organ without the need for anti-rejection medication.