Barry D. Kahan, PhD, MD

Professor Emeritus

Biography:

Barry D. Kahan, PhD, MD Dr. Barry D. Kahan's bibliography currently includes over 1000 published works. He has co-authored the book entitled, Principles and Practice of Renal Transplantation with Claudio Ponticelli of Milan, and he has edited nine other books, the most recent of which is entitled, "Ten Years of mTOR Inhibitor Therapy."As his first work was published in 1964, Dr. Kahan's publications span the past four decades, representing a chronicle of immunologic evolution of organ transplantation from his initial contribution that proteins solubilized from the cell surface induce transplant resistance to his more recent examination of the structure-function relations of Class I major histocompatibility antigens (HLA).

He is presently exploring the hypothesis that site-directed mutagenesis provides a useful tool to genetically manipulate the immunogenic versus tolerogenic properties of alloantigens. These studies suggest that "quasi-self" (allochimeric) donor histocompatibility antigens are tolerogens that are potentially applicable to the induction of permanent acceptance of organ allografts. At present, he is interested in the development of synergistic immunosuppressive regimens. Using a mathematical model, the median effect equation, he demonstrated that sirolimus among the presently available array of pharmacologic agents displays synergistic actions with cyclosporine in vitro and in vivo in experimental animal models.

He was the first researcher to administer sirolimus to man in clinical Phase I and later Phase II trials of sirolimus in human renal transplantation and subsequently applied the mathematical model to document synergy in man. Following FDA approval of sirolimus, Dr. Kahan identified FTY720 as a new synergistic agent with the cyclosporine / sirolimus regimen, and served as the lead investigator in the Phase I trials of multiple doses of this new agent. His recent investigations have focused on synthetic compounds that disrupt selectin-mediated cell surface interactions and on T cell selective agents that blockade Janus kinase 3. Dr. Kahan serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Transplantation Proceedings, and on the Editorial Boards of the publications, Drugs in Research & Development and the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Transplantation.

Dr. Kahan has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including The Joseph Capps Prize for Medical Research, the Schweppe Foundation Career Development Award, and the First Gift of Life Award from the American Organ Transplantation Association. In 2003, he was bestowed the Catalan Society of Transplantation Gold Medal and made an honorary member of The Polish Transplantation Society.

The Institute for Scientific Information (Thomson ISI) added Dr. Kahan to its database of the most highly cited researchers in the world in 2004. He received a Honorary Doctorate from Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary and The University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland as well as being listed in America’s Top Doctors for surgery.

In July, 2007, Dr. Kahan, was the fourth recipient of The Felix T. Rapaport Memorial Award, given by the Turkish Transplantation Society. The award, which is named for one of the late founders of the World Transplantation Society, honors Dr. Kahan’s lifelong contributions in the fields of immunology and of organ transplantation.

Kobayashi K, Censullo ML, Rossman LL, Kyriakides PN, Kahan BD, Cohen AM: Interventional radiologic management of renal transplant dysfunction: indications, limitations, and technical considerations. Radiographics, 27(4):1109-30, 2007.

Benavides CA, Csapo Z, Timmins K, Holley L, Katz SM, Van Buren CT, Kahan BD: Fibromuscular dysplasia recurrence after kidney transplantation: case report. Clin Nephrol. 2006 Jul;66(1):67-70.

Knight RJ, Kahan BD: The place of sirolimus in kidney transplantation: can we reduce calcineurin inhibitor renal toxicity? Kidney Int. 2006 Sep;70(6):994-9.

Csapo Z, Knight RJ, Podder H, Kerman RH, Schoenberg L, Katz SM, Van Buren CT, Kahan BD: Long-term outcomes of single paediatric vs. ideal adult renal allograft transplants in adult recipients. Clin Transplant. 2006 Jul-Aug;20(4):423-6.

Knight RJ, Kerman RH, Zela S, Podbielski J, Podder H, Van Buren CT, Katz S, Kahan BD: Pancreas transplantation utilizing thymoglobulin, sirolimus, and cyclosporine. Transplantation. 2006 Apr 27;81(8):1101-5.

Yakupoglu YK, Buell JF, Woodle S, Kahan BD: Individualization of immunosuppressive therapy. III. Sirolimus associated with a reduced incidence of malignancy. Transplant Proc. 2006 Mar;38(2):358-61.

Lisik W, Kahan BD: Individualization of immunosuppressive therapy. II. Sirolimus as a less nephrotoxic alternative to calcineurin inhibitors. Transplant Proc. 2006 Jan-Feb;38(1):69-73.

Mathew TH, Van Buren C, Kahan BD, Butt K, Hariharan S, Zimmerman JJ. A comparative study of sirolimus tablet versus oral solution for prophylaxis of acute renal allograft rejection. J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 Jan;46(1):76-87.

Kahan, B.D., Yakupoglu, Y.K., Schoenberg, L., Knight, R.J., Katz, S.M., Lai, D., and Van Buren, C.T.: Low incidence of malignancies among cyclosporine-sirolimus treated renal transplant recipients. Transplantation. 80: 749-758, 2005.

Podder, H., and Kahan, B.D.: Individualization of immunosuppressive therapy I: Sirolimus improves outcomes in African-American renal transplant recipients. Transplant. Proc.; 37:3723-26, 2005.

Hong, M., Hong, J.C., Stepkowski, S., Kahan, B.D.: Correlation Between Cyclosporine-induced Nephrotoxicity in Reduced-nephron Mass and the Expression of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 and Aquaporin-2 Gene. Transplant. Proc. Dec;37(10):4254-8, 2005.

Troncoso P, Ortiz AM, Dominguez J, Kahan BD: Use of FTY 720 and ICAM-1 Antisense Oligonucleotides for Attenuating Chronic Renal Damage Secondary to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Transplant Proc. Dec;37(10):4284-8, 2005.

Hong, J.C., and Kahan, B.D.: Sirolimus rescue therapy for refractory rejection in renal transplant recipients. Transplant. Proc. 33: 1033, 2001.

Podder, H., Stepkowski, S.M., Napoli, K.L., and Kahan, B.D.: Pharmacokinetic interactions between sirolimus and cyclosporine exacerbate renal dysfunction. Transplant. Proc. 33: 1086, 2001.

Podder, H., Podbielski, J., Hussein, I., Katz, S.M., Van Buren, C.T., and Kahan, B.D.: Impact of sirolimus on renal transplant outcomes in African-Americans. Transplant. Proc. 33: 1226, 2001.