CTS Collaborative Transplant Study

Newsletter 1:2024

February 1, 2024

Dear Colleagues,


After more than 40 years of its work, the coordination of the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS) in Heidelberg has decided to make significant changes in its organization in order to expand its network, get the collaboration partners more involved, receive a wider range of scientific impulses and ultimately to better serve our community of transplantation medicine. In this Newsletter, we would like to inform you about the new structure of the steering committee of the CTS (Figure 1).




Figure 1. New structure of the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS)

The activities of the CTS will be coordinated by an Executive Board and an International Advisory Board (Scientific Committee).

Members of the Executive Board are:

  1. Axel Roers, MD (Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital): Chair,
  2. Klemens Budde, MD (Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Hospital, Berlin University),
  3. Christian Morath, MD (Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital),
  4. Hien Tran, MD (Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital).

The International Advisory Board (Scientific Committee) will consist of 7 – 9 members und is currently recruiting. Members of the International Advisory Board are expected to be announced in the CTS News­letter of May 2024.

The Advisory Board will support the Executive Board in further development of the scientific concept and strategic planning as well as shaping cooperation with national and international transplant centers. Together with the Executive Board, the Advisory Board will also discuss the feasibility of the project proposals sent in by the participating transplant centers.

On this occasion, it is important for us to re-emphasize that you as study participants are very welcome to contact us with ideas for research projects. The CTS is deeply grateful for your invaluable contribution that enables us to establish and continuously expand a large database, offering unique opportunities to explore many clinically relevant questions based on comprehensive and robust data sets. The following Figures 2 and 3 exemplify results of transplant outcomes which were analysed using thousands of transplants collected by the CTS over four decades.




Figure 2. Kaplan-Meier analysis of cumulative 5-year graft survival of all transplants registered in CTS transplanted (A) before the year 2000 and (B) since the year 2000.



Figure 3. Kaplan-Meier analysis of cumulative 5-year Graft Survival of all transplants registered in CTS transplanted (A) before the year 2000 and (B) since the year 2000.

In addition to the extensive database, the CTS has also maintained a biobank with patients’ pre- and post-transplant sera and DNA samples of several thousand transplant recipients and donors. The CTS laboratory staff isolates DNA from buffy coats or spleen tissues shipped to Heidelberg by the transplant centers. The availability of biomaterials and corresponding clinical data provide an invaluable source for addressing many interesting questions on potential association of biomarkers and clinical outcomes. We diligently pursue our collection of biomaterials and strongly encourage you to continue to send us sera and blood/tissue (e. g. otherwise discarded leftovers from diagnostic procedures). Please contact us if you need further information on this ongoing and successful component of the study.

In the digital era, it would be quite easy and convenient to set up online meetings for personal exchange of ideas despite large geographical distances. Please contact us if you have any suggestions! We are very confident that with your continued support the new CTS coordination will open novel scientific perspec­tives in transplantation medicine, intensify our communications and offer you further opportunities for collaborative works, aiming at sharing new knowledge and improving our patient care.

Thanks for your cooperation and best wishes,

Axel Roers Klemens Budde Christian Morath Hien Tran