Chronic Rejection in Transplanted Organs:
Is it Lymphedema?

Date: September 24, 2026

Description: Why do so many transplanted lungs fail over time, and could the lymphatic system be part of the answer? In this LE&RN Symposium from our Research Frontiers Series, Dr. Daniel Kreisel and Dr. Hailey Morgan Shepherd of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explore the link between lymphatic injury and chronic rejection after organ transplantation. Dr. Kreisel reviews why chronic rejection remains the greatest barrier to long-term survival after lung transplant and what is known about how lymphatic drainage is re-established after surgery. Dr. Shepherd then presents her team's research connecting lymphedema in the transplanted lung to hyaluronan buildup and fibrosis, along with three approaches that reduced that fibrotic remodeling in their models. The session is moderated by Ajit Muley, PhD, LE&RN's Science & Medical Director, and closes with audience Q&A.

About the speaker: Hailey Morgan Shepherd, MD, is a Resident Physician at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her research connects lymphedema in the transplanted lung to hyaluronan buildup and fibrosis, pointing toward new ways to protect transplanted organs. Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he studies why transplanted lungs fail over time. His work looks at how lymphatic drainage is re-established after lung transplant and how the lymphatic system shapes chronic rejection, the greatest barrier to long-term survival.