The UC Davis Transplant Center has reached an important milestone with its first kidney transplant between a deceased donor with HIV and a recipient living with HIV. This approach can help shorten the wait for a lifesaving transplant by increasing the number of organs available to eligible patients.

Just over a decade ago, federal law prohibited the use of organs from donors with HIV in any transplant recipient, including people who were also living with HIV.

The 2013 HOPE Act changed that by allowing researchers to study HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants. Years of research showed these transplants are safe and effective. 

In 2024, federal regulations removed the strict research-only requirements. UC Davis Health then brought together a multidisciplinary team of experts to launch its HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant program. It’s the only program of its kind in the Sacramento region.

“Many people living with HIV develop kidney disease over the course of their lives, and some will require a transplant,” explained Sana J. Shaikh, associate professor of Transplant Nephrology, who oversees the HIV positive-to-positive kidney transplant program at UC Davis Health. “HIV-to-HIV transplantation creates an additional pathway to care because organs from donors with HIV are available only to recipients living with HIV. By increasing the number of organs available to these patients, we can potentially reduce wait times and help people get transplanted faster.”