Overview
Dr. Manikkam Suthanthiran pursues research in transplantation immunology and molecular biology to improve outcomes following organ transplantation.
Molecular Medicine. Dr. Suthanthiran's laboratory has pioneered the development of noninvasive gene-based assays to ascertain kidney transplant status, which had previously required an invasive kidney biopsy procedure. The original study, first conducted at Weill Cornell, led to an NIH-sponsored multicenter Cooperative Clinical Trial in Transplantation comprised of 500 subjects from major transplant centers in the United States. Results of the molecular studies of transplant recipients were presented at the plenary sessions of the 2011 American Transplant Congress Annual Meeting and the 2011 International Transplantation Society Meeting. Based on the bench-to-bedside approach, this study has led to state-of-the-art, individualized care (personalized medicine) of kidney transplant recipients. Recently, Dr. Suthanthiran and his research team have determined the expression profiles of small RNAs considered as master regulators of immunity in kidney transplants.
Human Pancreatic Islet cell Transplantation. The first successful human islet cell transplantation in the tri-state area for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus was carried out at Weill Cornell by an interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Suthanthiran. His laboratory established a human islet cell isolation facility and successfully transplanted Type 1 diabetic recipients. In a bedside-to bench approach, the laboratory has developed approaches to meet the twin challenges of limited islet supply and their tendency toward early loss of function and successful transplantation without any immunosuppressive drugs.
Highlights
- 1Journal of immunological methods · 2022
- 2Transplantation · 2021
- 3JCI insight · 2020
Publications
Funding
Active
4 grants- Co-IU01DK116100-076/14 APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO) Clinical CenterNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2017–2028· 2 renewals
- PIBP 204524-01Multianalyte Profiling of Kidney Allograft Recipients (Biopharma)CareDx, Inc. · 2020–2027BioPharma Alliance
- PIBP 241334-01Optimization of UroMapCareDx, Inc. · 2023–2027BioPharma Alliance
- Co-IR01AI151059-02Metagenomic profiling of urinary cell-free DNA to monitor urinary tract infection after kidney transplantationNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2020–2026 · via Cornell University - Ithaca
Completed grants (19)
- PITT 203563-01A randomized, controlled, multi-center, safety and efficacy study of FCR001 cell-based therapy relative to a tacrolimus and mycophenolate-based regimen in de novo living donor renal transplant recipients, and safety in FCR001 donorsTalaris Therapeutics · 2020–2024Contract
- Sub-PIR01HD091185-05VIRTUUS Children's Study: Validating Injury to the Renal Transplant Using Urinary Signatures in ChildrenEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2017–2024 · via Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Sub-PINPRP-S 12-0227-190173Development of a non-invasive assay for allograft failure prognosis in kidney transplantsQatar National Research Fund · 2020–2023 · via Weill Cornell Medical College/Qatar
- Co-INPRP12S-0227-190173Development of a non-invasive assay for allograft failure in kidney transplantsQatar National Research Fund · 2020–2023
- Co-IUL1TR002384-01Clinical and Translational Science Center - UL1National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences · 2017–2022
- PIR37AI051652-15S1Biomolecular Markers for Safe Minimization of ImmunosuppressionNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2009–2022· 4 renewals
- PICDI 221338-01Multi-Modal Interrogation of the Impact of Biopsy on Biomarkers of Kidney Allograft StatusCareDx, Inc. · 2021–2022Contract
- Co-INPRP 10-0207-170385The Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment on Diabetic Microvascular Complications: A Randomized Controlled TrialQatar National Research Fund · 2018–2021
- KPNPRP 10-0207-170385The impact of obstructive sleep apnea treatment on diabetic microvascular complications: A randomized controlled trialQatar National Research Fund · 2018–2020 · via Weill Cornell Medical College/Qatar
- Sub-PIW81XWH15-2-0036Utilizing Vascularized Bone to Improve Outcomes of Face TransplantationU.S. Department of Defense · 2015–2019 · via New York University School of Medicine (Grossman)
- Sub-PIUH3TR000933-05Clinical Utility of Extraceullar RNA as Marker of Kidney Disease ProgressionNational Center for Advancing Translational Sciences · 2013–2019 · via Rockefeller University
- PISRA 183316-01SOCE as a Diagnostic for Transplant RejectionWeill Cornell Medical College/Qatar · 2018–2019Contract
- PI19Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Urinary Cells for the Deconvolution of Human Kidney Allograft RejectionMendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation, The · 2017–2018
- PIUH2TR000933-02Clinical utility of extracellular RNA as marker of kidney disease progressionNCATS · 2013–2015 · via NIH RePORTER
- PIR01AI072790-05EWOFoxP3 Regulatory Network mRNA Profiles and Human Renal Transplant OutcomesNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2007–2011
- PIR01DK054943-04TGF-BETA1 AND EXCESS RENAL DISEASE IN AFRICAN AMERICANSNIDDK · 1999–2005 · via NIH RePORTER
Honors & distinctions
- Member · American Society for Clinical Investigation · 1989
- Member · Association of American Physicians
Available technologies
News mentions
- Awards and Honors – August 31, 2022August 31, 2022
Awards, honors, prizes and achievements for the month of August.
- Record Number of Weill Cornell Faculty Win ASCI Young Physician-Scientist AwardsMay 27, 2021
Eight Weill Cornell Medicine faculty members have received Young Physician-Scientist Awards from the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the most awarded to any institution this year.
- Intercampus Collaboration Awarded Grant to Develop Method for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection Using Cell-Free DNAOctober 14, 2020
An intercampus research team at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell’s Ithaca campus has been awarded a five-year, $3.65 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a quick, inexpensive method for accurately diagnosing urinary tract infections in kidney transplant patients by carrying out molecular profiling of cell-free DNA in urine.
- Abundance of Infectious Bacteria in the Gut May Predict Risk of Urinary Tract InfectionFebruary 26, 2020
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in kidney transplant patients may be caused by bacteria that originate in the digestive tract, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University and NewYork-Presbyterian.
Mentoring
- BDBryan DooleyMD mentee · Class of 2019
External relationships
Other
CareDx, Inc.