Defining the Humoral Immune response to Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is the final option for those with end-stage lung disease. Survival rates after lung transplantation are limited by chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), which occurs in 50% of patients by 5 years of transplantation. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers of CLAD. This thesis comprehensively profiles blood immune cells of patients from before and after lung transplantation. We identified an immune cell signature associated with CLAD development that is detectable prior to transplantation. These results open avenues for therapeutic intervention, diagnosis and management of this critical unmet need.