# Histopathology Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $299,518

## Abstract

GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED PIG ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION IN BABOONS:
IMMUNOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL STUDIES
CORE C: HISTOPATHOLOGY CORE. Histopathological evaluation of features of organ xenograft
rejection (Core Lead: Jeremy Foote; Consultants: Henk-Jan Schuurman; Burcin Ekser, Sameer
Al Diffalha; Huma Fatima; Silvio Litovsky)
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 The transplantation (Tx) of kidneys and hearts from genetically-engineered pigs into nonhuman
primates has recently been followed by increasing graft and recipient survival, extending to many
months or even years. Pig liver Tx has been less successful, mainly through the development of an
immediate thrombocytopenia (as the primate platelets are phagocytosed by cells in the liver graft).
 In the present study, GE pig kidney (Project 1), liver (Project 2), and heart (Project 3) grafts will
be transplanted into immunosuppressed baboons and followed for 6 months (kidneys and hearts) or
one month (livers). The pigs (Core A) will largely be of the same phenotype, and the
immunosuppressive regimen will be almost identical in all 3 Projects. All of the immunological assays
(Core B) and histopathological methods (Core C) will be standardized, enabling comparisons to be
made in the results from all 3 Projects.
 Using state-of-the-art technology, Core C will therefore play an integral role in all three Projects,
specifically in the identification of previously-characterized and novel pathways of transplant rejection or
acceptance resulting from Tx of organs from multigene pigs, specifically those with 8 (8-gene) or more
genetic manipulations. We will characterize known and novel histopathologic lesions to further our
understanding of mechanisms of immune-mediated xenograft pathology and rejection, when present, to
provide mechanistic insight that will be utilized to augment existing donor genetics and immune
suppressive therapeutic regimens.
 The Core will use light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron
microscopy to provide detailed data on each graft tissue examined. The Core Lead, Dr Foote, will be
supported by other experts in experimental xenograft histopathology (Drs. Schuurman and Ekser), and
by experts in clinical allograft histopathology (Drs. Fatima, Al Diffalha, and Litovsky).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10019097
- **Project number:** 2U19AI090959-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeremy Bruce Foote
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $299,518
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2010-08-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019097

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10019097, Histopathology Core (2U19AI090959-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10019097. Licensed CC0.

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