Hadassah Hospital Transplant Unit Receives Prestigious MAVRI Research Grant
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Hadassah Hospital's transplant unit received a prestigious MAVRI research grant from the Israel Science Foundation to study liver aging mechanisms and telomeres. The research aims to improve transplant outcomes and potentially increase the use of organs from older donors.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hadassah's transplant unit awarded prestigious MAVRI research grant.
- Research focuses on liver aging and telomeres' role.
- Goal is to improve transplant outcomes globally.
- Study may expand use of organs from older donors.
- Hadassah is a leading transplant center in Israel.
The Hadassah Hospital's transplant unit has been awarded the prestigious MAVRI research grant from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF). The grant will fund research aimed at deepening the understanding of aging mechanisms in donor livers, potentially expanding the use of organs from older donors for transplantation worldwide.
The research, led by Dr. Abdalla Khalaileh, head of the transplant unit, and Dr. Ashraf Imam, senior surgeon and director of liver transplantation at Hadassah, will focus on the role of telomeres in liver aging. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that contain genetic material. The study, in collaboration with Professor Dudu Tsfati from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute for Life Sciences, will investigate how telomere function affects liver function and transplant outcomes.
Dr. Khalaileh stated that the research stems from daily clinical challenges and aims to improve patient treatment, broaden the use of organs from elderly donors, and advance transplant medicine. He expressed confidence that the findings will provide better tools to assess the suitability of livers from older donors, including those currently considered borderline for transplantation due to age-related changes.
Hadassah's transplant unit is one of Israel's largest and most advanced, performing significant numbers of kidney and liver transplants from both living and deceased donors. The unit specializes in complex cases and combined surgeries, working closely with various hospital departments.