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Maternal Immunity Not All Good For A Fetus
As a fetus does not mount an immune response to maternal proteins that cross the placenta, it has been assumed that a fetus would not reject non-genetically matched blood cells (specifically allogeneic blood cells) if they were transplanted while the fetus was in utero. The hope is that this procedure, which is known as IUHCT, could provide a viable approach for treating congenital blood disorders. However, studies using a mouse model of IUHCT indicate that most fetal recipients of allogeneic blood cells lose their transplanted cells 3-5 weeks after transplantation. Alan Flake and colleagues, at Children"s Hospital of Philadelphia, have now identified an immune mechanism responsible for graft failure in this model of IUHCT. Surprisingly, although fetal immune cells eliminated the transplanted allogeneic blood cells, they were triggered to do so by immune molecules known as alloantibodies that they obtained from their mother"s breast milk. The maternal alloantibodies were produced in response to IUHCT and so the authors conclude that in the absence of either a maternal immune response or transmission of the maternal alloantibodies to the fetus, transplanted blood cells should not be rejected, leaving open the door for IUHCT as a potential clinical strategy.
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HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Release Of $6 Billion In New CHIP Funds To Insure Children
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that $6 billion in new federal funds will be made available to states and U.S. territories for fiscal year 2009 to provide health care to millions of children across America through their Children"s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP).
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Studying Human Behavior May Be Key To Tackling Swine Flu
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin will participate in a $3 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fight influenza and other diseases by creating models that simulate the complex interplay between human behavior and the spread of disease.
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Organ Donation Map Highlights UK Variations

While Lands End and John O"Groats may be poles apart geographically they"re side by side when it comes to generosity. At the start of National Transplant Week, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has published a map showing the percentage of the UK population who have signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). The regionalised map has been broken down to reflect membership of the ODR by area. Scotland and the South West are leading the way with 32% of their total population signed up while other areas of the country have fewer potential lifesavers. The national average of ODR membership is now 27% but the UK"s lowest sign up rate is 22% in London and the West Midlands. Sally Johnson, Director Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Whilst 90% of people say they support organ donation, just 27% have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register. If we are to meet the growing need for organs across the UK we really need more people sign up as organ donors. Our job at NHSBT is to make sure that people know how to join and the difference they can make to the lives of others by signing up." Anyone can sign up as an organ donor. NHSBT encourages people to talk to their families about organ donation so that their wishes are known and can be respected. For more information or to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, call the donor helpline on 0300 123 23 23 (open 24hrs), or visit http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk. To view the UK map of ODR membership and to download a high resolution version for publication in either colour or black and white click below; http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/downloads/pdfs/odr_regionalmembership_bw.pdf http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/downloads/pdfs/odr_regionalmembership_colour.pdf "Data NHS Blood and Transplant". Notes 1. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in the NHS. It is the organ donor organisation for the UK and is responsible for matching and allocating donated organs. Its remit also includes the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS. 2. There are currently 7,986 people in the UK on the "active" waiting list for an organ transplant. This figure changes constantly as people join and leave the transplant list. Approx 2,300 others are on the "suspended" list because they are too ill or unable to receive a transplant at present. Added together, this brings the total number needing an organ transplant in the UK to more than 10,000. 3. The NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) is a confidential database used to identify those who have indicated that they wish to donate organs and/or tissue after their death for transplantation purposes. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is consulted after someone has died by authorised NHS staff to establish an individual"s wishes on donation. 4. Last year, 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, 3,513 organ transplants were carried out in the UK, thanks to the generosity of 1,854 deceased and living donors - the highest on record. 5. Joining the Organ Donor Register is easy: Go online http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk NHS Blood and Transplant


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