Genomics in Organ Transplantation

Since the first organ transplantation conducted in 1953, the over -all processes of organ transplantation have been remarkably devel -oped not only in surgical techniques but also in peri-surgical treat -ment including appropriate matching donor, immunosuppressive agents, etc. [1]. Many types of study associated with genomics have also developed (Table 1). By virtue of these successful improvements, there were more than 28,000 cases of organ transplantations in-cluding liver, heart, and kidney conducted in KOREA since 2000 (KOrean Network for Organ Sharing, KONOS). And now, organ transplantation is considered as a routine curative treatment for the end stage of diseases in kidney, heart, and liver. Even though these successful improvements in transplantation progresses, the acute or chronic rejection rate of allograft is still significant, and it is up to 60% [2].The completion of the human genome project initiated the new era of translational medicine. The Human Genome Project (HGP) was performed to determine the chemical nucleotide sequences which consist of the human DNA and identify genes of the human genome physically and functionally. Since the completion at 2003, this information has been widely used to find disease related mark -ers, discover genetic variations, and identify personal diversities [3]. Like beads array technology, the next generation sequencing (NGS) brought us a new insight into molecular biology. Especially the sensitivity of this technology made it possible to identify spe-cific markers in a heterogeneous group of patients and supply cus -tomized medicine to take care of the different types of diseases. NGS technology shifts a paradigm from protocol-based medicine to personalized medicine. NGS technology can be applied to the patients suffering from organ failure and failed organ transplanta -tion, estimating rejection rates using the specific biomarkers iden -tified by NGS between patient and donors, finding the best match -ing donor and transplanting it to the patient, and achieving success -ful donor transplantation. In this review, we introduce the current available genomic technologies and summarize potential benefits of these technologies in organ transplantation.