Grant: Operating Grant

Organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage organ disease including kidney failure, severe lung and liver disease. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common viral infection after transplantation. It can cause serious disease including pneumonia and hepatitis. Recently novel small molecules called microRNAs have been found to play an important role in a number of cellular processes including the patient's response to viral infection. The goal of this set of studies is to analyze the immune response to CMV in transplant patients and to discover how the patient's miRNAs affect CMV replication. We will perform a number of clinical studies to look at their role as potential biomarkers in transplant patients. This study will be performed accross two of the largest Canadian transplant centers.