Research Study of ATG and Rituximab in Renal Transplantation

Kidneys remove excess fluid and waste from the blood. When kidneys lose their filtering ability, dangerous levels of fluid and waste accumulate in the body - a condition known as kidney failure. There are two ways to treat kidney failure. One way is to get dialysis indefinitely. The second way is to get a kidney transplant. A kidney transplant is often the best treatment for kidney failure. A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly. This study is for people who will receive a kidney transplant from a very well matched, living blood relative. The immune system is the body's defense system against illness. After transplant, the immune system will think that the new kidney is a foreign invader and will try to attack or reject the transplanted kidney. Immunosuppressive drugs protect the transplanted kidney by suppressing the immune system. People who have kidney transplants must take immunosuppressive drug for the rest of their lives. If they stop, their immune system may reject the transplanted kidney. Immunosuppressive drugs make it hard for the body to fight off infections. In addition, they can cause high blood pressure, kidney damage, plaque build-up in the blood vessels, high cholesterol, diabetes and bone disease. They may also make the body more likely to get some types of cancer (mainly cancer of the white blood cells and/or skin) and other serious side effects. Because of the side effects of immunosuppressive drugs, an important goal of transplant research is to allow people to accept their transplanted organ without always having to take immunosuppressive drugs. This is called tolerance. The RESTARRT study is testing a combination of two medications, rituximab and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), to see if they can help people reduce or eliminate the need for life-long immunosuppressive medications. ATG has been used for over 10 years to treat transplant rejection; rituximab is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and two types of cancer. ATG works on immune cells called 'T cells' that are involved in transplant rejection, while rituximab works on a different type of cell called 'B cells.' Researchers hope that targeting both these cell types at the same time will help reset the immune system so that it accepts the transplanted kidney. Frequent visits are required during the first two months of the study. Then, study visits take place about every 4 weeks, but more often (every 2 weeks) when reducing medication doses. After two years, participants will be asked to return for check-ups every 3 months. Study visits may include consultations with the transplant doctors, physical exam, blood and/or urine samples and kidney biopsies at several times during the study. In all, participation could last up to 4 years. All study-related medications and tests are provided at no charge to the patient.