Physicians Presenting, Moderating and Available for Expert Commentary at American Transplant Congress 2011 Meeting

American Transplant Congress 2011

Penn Medicine/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Presentations

American Transplant Congress

Pennsylvania Convention Center1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Newswise — PHILADELPHIA – Penn Transplant Institute/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine faculty are presenting research findings and moderating sessions in the latest advances in transplant medicine. The ATC keynote speaker this year is Penn Medicine’s own Dr. Arthur Caplan, the Robert Hart Director of the Center for Bioethics and the Sidney D. Caplan Professor of Bioethics.

Penn Transplant Institute Experts Available for Comment

Physicians and researchers from the Penn Transplant Institute/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are presenting research data and moderating discussion about the latest advances and discoveries in transplant medicine. Penn experts are also available for interviews and additional comment on other presentations.

To arrange interviews with any of the presenters or other Penn Medicine physicians who will be in attendance and can provide outside comments on other sessions, please call Olivia Fermano at (215­-459-0546), or email [email protected]. All research results are embargoed until the time they are presented during the conference. Please refer to the ATC for embargo policies pertaining to scientific sessions.

Monday, May 2

Sunrise Symposia Donor Derived Infections

7:00 – 7:25 am Transplant Associate Transmission of Infection and Malignancy: DTAC 2011-04-20

Emily Blumberg, MD

Lymphodepletion and Reconstitution of the T Cell Repertoire

11:30 – 12:00 pm Overcoming Homeostatic Proliferation of Memory T-Cells in Allograft Recipients: What We Have Learned in Rodent Models

Lawrence Turka, MD

Update on “Big Science” in Transplant

12:00 – 12:30 pm Immune Tolerance Network: Where We stand on Tolerance Trials

Featured Symposium:

11:00 – 12:30 pm Improving Long-Term Survival in Thoracic Transplantation

Moderator: Jason Christie, MD

Concurrent Abstract Sessions

2:15 – 3:45 pm

Transplantation in Depth

4:30 – 5:00 pm Part II: Tolerance is an Active Immunological Process: Mechanisms of Tolerance on Transplantation and Autoimmunity

Homeostatic Checkpoints Necessary for Induction and maintenance of Tolerance

Laurence Turka, MD

Concurrent Abstract Sessions

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Tuesday, May 3

Sunrise Symposia

7:00 – 8:15 am Development of Small Molecules for Therapeutics

Moderator: Jonathan Maltzman, MD, PhD

7:00 – 8:15 am Immunosuppressive Agents and Infectious Disease

Moderator: Emily Blumberg, MD

Renal Disease in Liver Transplantation

7:00 – 8:15 am Moderator: Roy Bloom, MD

Wednesday, May 4

Sunrise Symposia

7:00 – 8:15 am Role of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Heart Transplantation

Moderator: Mariell Jessup, MD

Keynote Address

10:00 – 10:30 am The Not-So Distant Future of Organ Transplantation – Ethical Obstacles and Opportunities

Art Caplan, PhD

American Transplant Congress 2011

About the Penn Transplant Institute

The dream of curing illness and injury through transplant is probably as old as the history of healing, but the scientific knowledge that has made modern organ transplant possible developed primarily during the past 50 years. While the first successful kidney transplant—between identical twins—was performed in the 1950s, it wasn’t until the introduction of anti-rejection drugs in the late 1970s that organ transplant became an accepted and successful treatment.

“Our experience and expertise extend beyond just heart transplants or liver transplants, to include all organs—heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and multiple organ transplants, such as heart/lung and kidney/pancreas.- Abraham Shaked, MD, PhD The depth and breadth of experience of the transplant teams is what distinguishes Penn from other transplant programs, according to Abraham Shaked, MD, PhD, chief of Transplantation surgery at Penn and director of the Penn Transplant Institute.

“We are the best transplant center in that our experience and expertise extend beyond just heart transplants or liver transplants, to include all organs—heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and multiple organs, such as heart/lung and kidney/pancreas,” said Dr. Shaked. “Our program is very busy, very experienced and very stable, but most importantly we have very, very good results.”

In fact, the success rates for all of Penn’s transplant programs are equal to, and in most cases exceed, the national averages as reported by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Penn maintains its record of successful outcomes even though its physicians and surgeons are treating some of the sickest patients.

The Penn Transplant Institute works closely with Gift of Life, the regional organ procurement organization and the largest organ procurement organization in the country. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is an approved member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Teamed with UNOS and Gift of Life, Penn is dedicated to increasing awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation.

The Penn Transplant Institute…

performs more than 400 solid organ transplants annually. performs more deceased donor transplants annually than any other center in the region. survival outcomes in all organ transplants consistently exceed the national average. became the first heart transplant center in the region to be certified for temporary total artificial heart implantation in 2007. is one of the leading transplant centers in the nation researching islet cell transplantation to treat type 1 diabetes. is one of only nine transplant programs in the nation participating in the NIH-sponsored adult-to-adult living liver donor study. has established a joint program with The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that allows healthy adult relatives to donate organ tissue to children with end-stage kidney and liver disease. Announced on December 13, 2010, the establishment of he Penn Hand Transplant Institute which marks Penn’s emergence in the field of composite tissue allograph transplantation: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2010/12/hand-transplant-program/ Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4 billion enterprise.

Penn’s School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report’s survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital – the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.

OLIVIA FERMANOSenior Medical Communications OfficerDepartment of CommunicationsPenn Medicine - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine - University of Pennsylvania Health System3535 Market St., Mezzanine, Ste. 60, Phila., PA 19104Direct: 215.349.5653 Cell: 215.459.0546On Twitter: @PennMedMedia | @PennMedNews [email protected]PennMedicine.org/news