Jellyfish used to study transplants

Tiny marine animals about the size of a quarter may be able to help researchers learn more… Tiny marine animals about the size of a quarter may be able to help researchers learn more about why certain people don’t accept organ transplants.

Since humans sometimes reject transplanted organs and these animals – which are closely related to common jellyfish – sometimes reject fusing with other organisms, studying these creatures might allow scientists to learn more about human tolerance to foreign organs.

As this jellyfish grows, it expands. When it touches another organism, it must decide if it wants to fuse with the other or not, depending upon whether they are gene-related.

If it rejects the other organism, the jellyfish attacks it to protect itself from stem cell transfer, which happens through fusing.

If it were to fuse with another organism that is unrelated in genes, there would be a gene takeover and the species would be forever altered.

Dr. Fadi Lakkis, the director of the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, and his team of researchers are observing this jellyfish to determine which gene is responsible for the rejection of fusing.

When they find the particular gene, it will be compared to human genes to see if it also exists in humans. If it does, then it may be the same gene that causes humans to reject foreign organs.

Lakkis said he wants to find a way for humans to accept organs relatively quickly without them having to take toxic medications for years. This research may lead him or others to a healthier solution without toxic drugs.

Lakkis said that jellyfish were chosen to work with because it is easier to uncover genetic information in them than in some other organisms.

“A jellyfish is simpler than a mouse,” Lakkis explained. “By simpler, I mean that the immune system is only innate and not adaptive.”

Researchers are well-informed about the adaptive immune system in humans, but not about the innate immune system. By studying the innate system of jellyfish, the researchers will have better insight into the human innate system and may be able to locate the gene they want.

Even with simple animals, though, people and animals share some of the same genes and immune systems, which is why jellyfish and other animals can be used as models and researched instead of humans.

One major problem, though, is that the structure of genes in jellyfish is unknown, so it makes it difficult to determine which gene is responsible for the rejection because many genes and their functions are not known.

Another challenge that Lakkis and his researchers face is supplying the organism with what he called “tender, love and care.”

As a baby, it must be fed by hand underneath a microscope since it is so small. If this and other precautions are not taken, it will not fair well as an adult and will not be as suitable for study.

This particular research being done at the Thomas E. Starzl Institute is in collaboration with research being conducted at Yale University, where Lakkis used to work.

“At Pitt, there’s the potential to do research from jellyfish to humans, whereas other places may only work with one,” said Lakkis.