Researchers at Stanford University have discovered a way to greatly reduce the disabling side effects many pediatric kidney transplant patients endure, allowing them to look, feel and mature more normally. By replacing steroids with a drug called daclizumab, doctors have prevented side effects such as high blood pressure, stunted growth and rapid weight gain. The transplanted organs also performed better and were less likely to be rejected using daclizumab.

This decade-long study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and researched over 200 pediatric kidney transplant patients.

This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Kidney Transplant Today.