Molecular Core

Project Abstract: U19 Science Core The world’s first pig-to-human decedent xenotransplant procedure was performed in NYU in 2021. This groundbreaking procedure was followed by four additional pig-to-human decedent xenotransplant procedures with the last procedure lasting for 61 days. The knowledge gained from these procedures was instrumental in the planning and care for a recent pig kidney to-human living xenotransplant procedure. The priceless blood, xenograft tissues and other longitudinal biospecimens along with the dense clinical phenotypes collected over from 6 XTx procedures were crucial to perform comprehensive wet-lab omic assays, and analysis of multiomic datasets. NYU has recently secured industry funding to perform 25 additional pig-to-human decedent xenotransplant comprising: 20 pig kidney xenografts to human decedents, anticipated to last 56 days each, one pig heart xenograft to human decedent, anticipated to last 56 days, and 3 pig kidney xenografts to human decedents, anticipated to last 5 days. The Science Core will biobank longitudinal samples for use on the proposed specific aims and as a resource for future experiments. The Science Core will process and prepare these samples for optimal long-term storage (Specific Aim 1) and employ state-of-the-art multiomic assays and analyses across a range of DNA, RNA, protein, lipid, and metabolites in blood and tissue, allowing us to generate omic data across 31 existing and pending xenotransplant procedures (Specific Aim 2), as well as for two main projects in this U19 application. As a third aim, the Science Core will also perform spatial single-cell proteomics in the xenograft tissues, to act as a complementary strategy to the other tissue omics to gain a richer understanding of key infection- and immune-related outcomes across the 31 xenotransplant procedures. Dr. Keating will lead the development of this xenotransplant biobank and assembly of the detailed phenotypes and generated cleaned omic data into databases for use by the other Science Core, Project 1 and Project 2 investigators for analyses.