New computational tool could help match kidney donors to recipients

DNA-based scoring system uses many genes to predict long-term success of transplantation.

A new scoring system that compares the genetic matching of kidney donors and recipients could help improve predictions of transplant success, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.

Doctors often match a kidney donor to a recipient by detecting differences in DNA sequences at a few specific locations in the genomes of transplant recipients and their organ donor. The fewer the differences between a donor and a recipient in that region, the better the chances of good kidney function after the transplant. However, 40 to 50 percent of kidney transplants still fail within 10 years, indicating that other parts of the genome may impact long-term success.