Solid Organ Transplant

Children and teenagers who receive a solid organ transplant (such as a kidney, liver, or heart) must take medications every day to keep their new organ healthy. Taking these medications correctly and on time is one of the most important parts of staying well after a transplant, but it can be hard for young patients to understand why this matters and to keep up with their routines. Doctors and nurses usually teach patients about their transplant through conversations, which may not always be engaging or easy for kids to remember. This study looks at a new way to help young transplant patients learn about their condition and their medications: an educational game played on a tablet. The purpose of the study is to find out what patients think of the game and how well it works for them. Researchers want to know whether young patients find the game acceptable and enjoyable, whether it is easy to use, whether it makes them feel motivated and capable, and how engaged they feel while playing. To do this, patients will play the tablet game and then share their experiences. After playing, they will take part in a small group interview where they talk about what they liked, what was confusing, and whether the game helped them understand their transplant and medications. They will also fill out short questionnaires about how easy the game was to use and how engaging it felt. The researchers' hypothesis is that pediatric solid organ transplant patients will find the educational tablet-based game acceptable, easy to use, and engaging, and that it will be a welcome and helpful tool for learning about their transplant care. The findings will help guide whether this kind of game could be used to support transplant education for children and teens.

People who have received a solid organ transplant can develop ongoing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in the blood, which increases the risk of a serious cancer called post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). This study will test whether rituximab, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for several immune-related conditions, can safely clear EBV from the blood and help prevent PTLD when lowering immune-suppressing medications is not possible or effective. The study includes an initial smaller group focused on determining whether EBV can be cleared, followed by a larger group designed to determine whether treatment lowers the risk of developing PTLD. Researchers will also monitor side effects, transplant organ health, and immune system changes to better understand treatment safety and benefit.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of genotype-informed Bayesian dosing of tacrolimus in optimising drug exposure among paediatric solid organ transplant recipients. By tailoring tacrolimus dosage based on individual genetic makeup and using Bayesian modeling to predict drug levels, the researchers hope to increase the likelihood of achieving therapeutic drug concentrations while minimising the risk of adverse events associated with subtherapeutic or supratherapeutic exposure.

The participants are being asked to take part in this clinical trial, a type of research study, because the participants are scheduled to receive or have recently received a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) or a solid organ transplant (SOT). Primary Objective To determine if pre-transplant screening for respiratory viral load predicts RVI within 1- year post-transplant among survivors. Secondary Objectives: * To develop and validate a classifier based on pre-transplant immunological profile predictive of developing an acute respiratory viral infection (aRVI), with RSV/PIV3/HMPV/SARS-CoV-2 through one-year post-transplant among survivors. * To develop and validate a classifier based on Day +100 post-transplant immunological profiles predictive of developing an acute respiratory viral infection (aRVI),with RSV/PIV3/HMPV/SARS-CoV-2 through one-year post-transplant among survivors .

The iParent2Parent (iP2P) program is a new, innovative virtual mentorship program that will connect parents one-to-one with other parents of pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients who are trained to offer vital peer support and mentorship. Parents of children who received a SOT at The Hospital for Sick Children will be invited to participate as mentors and mentees (randomized into the iP2P or control group). The iP2P program can decrease feelings of isolation, improve mental health and have a long-term positive impact on patient health. This research will increase our understanding of one-to-one peer support and leverage eHealth technologies to improve the access to and acceptability of parent peer support interventions.