Liver Disease

Cooperative Transplantation Research Group

With a Program Grant from The Medical Foundation, Dr Alexandra Sharland and associated scientists of the Cooperative Transplantation Research Group are researching ways in which to improve the outcomes for people undergoing liver, heart and kidney transplants.

End-stage organ failure currently affects over 15,000 Australians, and this number is projected to grow exponentially over the next 20 years due to the increasing prevalence of both type II diabetes mellitus and chronic Hepatitis C infection. Liver and heart transplants are life-saving procedures, while kidney transplantation provides not only improved survival and quality of life, but also economic benefits when compared with dialysis.

Access to transplantation, however, is declining, with median waiting times for kidney transplantation increasing steadily over the past two decades. Moreover, although the early results of transplantation are now excellent, within 10 years over half the grafts will be lost due to a combination of chronic rejection and the toxic effects of immunosuppressive drugs.

A variety of approaches will be needed to address the increasing disparity between supply of and demand for organs for transplantation. Of critical importance are public health and other measures designed to prevent the development of end-stage organ failure and its antecedent conditions.