Award-winning thesis improves transplant care
In December, Jens Böhmer defended his thesis at the Institute of Clinical Sciences, presenting a new method that could revolutionize follow-up care for transplant patients. He has now received the Rolf Zetterström Award for the best pediatric thesis in Sweden in 2024.
Read more about the research in Jens Böhmer’s thesis here.
Jens Böhmer’s research shows that a simple blood test can rule out rejection of a donated heart. The method is set to be implemented clinically within a few weeks.
This innovation will save heart transplant patients both time and unnecessary suffering. Instead of undergoing regular tissue biopsies from the heart, they can now be monitored remotely.
“Biopsies are expensive and extremely uncomfortable for patients. Children need to be sedated for the procedure, which is typically performed at the transplant center. That means a lot of travel for those who have received a new heart,” says Jens Böhmer, a pediatric cardiologist who, after nearly 15 years at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, now works part-time at a children’s clinic in Frankfurt (Germany) while continuing his research in transplant surgery in Gothenburg.
Recognition and scientific progress
How does it feel to receive the award for the best pediatric thesis? What does this recognition mean to you?
“It feels pretty surreal that I would receive an award! I hope it inspires others to tackle the challenges they face in healthcare with scientific methods.”
What are you most proud of in your thesis?
“That, with a lot of support from others, I managed to take such a large project from bedside to bench and back again—all within the scope of a single dissertation.”
What was your reaction when you realized that a simple blood test could actually detect rejection?
“I have often seen how vulnerable these patients are and how they do everything they can to protect their new heart and new life. Now, they can avoid time-consuming and painful biopsies and spend much more time at home, where they belong!”
Being tested on lung transplant patients
How long do you think it will take before this method is widely used in clinical practice?
“The technical validation is complete. We just need to work out some practical details since the method needs to be applicable for both children and adults, with samples collected not just here in Gothenburg but across Sweden as well. But we are only talking about a few weeks before donor cell-free DNA testing becomes available at Sahlgrenska University Hospital!”
Do you plan to continue your research, and if so, what would you like to study next?
“Absolutely, I am aiming for an associate professor position at the University of Gothenburg. Besides my two ongoing projects on myocarditis and cardiac effects after childhood cancer treatment, my main focus is to refine and simplify the method we used in the doctoral project (digital PCR) to make it even more sensitive and user-friendly. We are also investigating whether this approach can be used to detect rejection in other transplanted organs. Jesper Magnusson at Sahlgrenska has just launched a major study on lung transplant patients using our method.”
Received the award at Pediatric Week
Jens Böhmer received the Rolf Zetterström Award for the best pediatric thesis of the year in Sweden during Barnveckan (Pediatric Week) in Uppsala.
“It has been a long time since I last attended Barnveckan, since I now mainly go to conferences on transplantation, cell-free DNA, or pediatric cardiology. But I am a pediatrician at heart, and the program was really exciting. Pediatrics covers everything from extremely premature babies to 150-kilo teenagers with metabolic syndrome—there is so much to learn! It was fun to reconnect with old colleagues who have chosen very different specialties within the same profession.”
Text: Jakob Lundberg