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Liver transplants from donors with HIV in adults who also have HIV

Looks at infection and cancer risk after liver transplants from donors with HIV.

Key facts

Who runs it
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Where
Baltimore and New York, United StatesSee the 2 sites
Trial code
Registry title
Expanding HOPE Liver
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
80 people, planned
Started
15 Oct 2026
Expected to end
31 Aug 2030
Type of study
Observational, 2 groups
Record updated
21 August 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults living with HIV who need a liver or a liver-kidney transplant. It studies transplants from donors with HIV and the risk of infections and cancer.

Age
18 years or older
Sex
All sexes can join
Disease stage
Needs a liver or simultaneous liver-kidney transplant and meets local transplant criteria
Earlier treatment
Recent HIV treatment results are needed; people who cannot take HIV drugs due to organ failure or recently started them can join if a safe drug plan after transplant is described
Biomarker or test result
Documented HIV infection; most recent HIV-1 RNA 50 copies RNA/mL or lower, with small short rises between 50-400 copies allowed

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Past progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), cryptosporidiosis lasting more than 1 month, or primary CNS lymphoma
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Other health problems that the investigator thinks add risk or affect the study data

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 15 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Recipient Inclusion Criteria
  • Participant meets local criteria for liver or simultaneous liver kidney (SLK) transplant
  • Participant or legally authorized representative (in accordance with Johns Hopkins Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB) and local IRB policy) is able to understand and provide informed consent
  • Participant has documented HIV infection by any licensed assay or documented history of detectable Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
  • Participant is ≥ 18 years old
  • Most recent HIV-1 RNA <= 50 copies RNA/mL. Viral blips between 50-400 copies will be allowed as long as there are not consecutive measurements > 200 copies/mL. Organ recipients who are unable to tolerate ART due to organ failure or recently started ART may have detectable viral load and still be eligible if a safe and effective antiretroviral regimen to be used by the recipient after transplantation is described; Deceased Donor Criteria
  • Donation after brain death or cardiac death
  • Donors with HIV have confirmed or suspected HIV infection (by medical record history and licensed HIV test). If HIV infection is diagnosed during the donor evaluation process, a second confirmatory test will be required. Organs from donors with suspected false positive HIV screening tests can be used under this protocol
  • Donor has no active opportunistic infections, neoplasms, and/or severe acute retroviral syndrome; if previous history of an opportunistic infection, donor has received appropriate treatment
  • Donor may have any HIV-1 RNA viral load provided a safe, tolerable, and effective post-transplant antiretroviral regimen to be prescribed for the recipient is anticipated, described, and justified
  • Donors with active hepatitis C virus infection (detectable HCV nucleic acid by licensed assay in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified lab) are acceptable based on local site practice

Who cannot take part

  • Participant has prior progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), cryptosporidiosis of > 1 month, or primary Central Nervous System (CNS) lymphoma
  • Participant is pregnant or breastfeeding. Note: Participants who become pregnant post-transplant will be followed on study and managed per local site practice
  • Past or current medical problems or findings from medical history, physical examination, or laboratory testing that are not listed above, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may pose additional risks from participation in the study, may interfere with the participant's ability to comply with study requirements or that may impact the quality or interpretation of the data obtained from the study
  • Recipient

Where in United States

  • Johns Hopkins University (Site #: 71119)Baltimore, United StatesContact: Nadine Jackson, BSTaking people
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Site # 71115)New York, United StatesContact: Brandy HaydelTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

This is a prospective, multicenter clinical study. The objective is to determine whether a liver transplant from a deceased donor with HIV is associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection and cancer. Adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in need of a liver or simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) transplant who meet study-specified criteria will be offered enrollment in the study. The analytic plan includes an observational cohort of liver and SLK transplant recipients from prior HOPE in Action studies.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • HIV D-/R+ Arm

    Participants who receive a liver or SLK from a donor without HIV (D-) will be in this arm. Participants who accept an HIV suspected false positive (FP) organ will be part of the D-/R+ arm once confirmatory testing confirms the negative HIV status of the donor. Participants will be followed for a minimum of 6 months and up to 4 years post-transplant

  • HIV D+/R+ Arm

    Prospective cohort of transplant recipients who receive a liver or SLK from a donor with HIV (D+) will be in the HIV D+/R+ arm. Participants will be followed for a minimum of 6 months and up to 4 years post-transplant

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
HOPE in Action Liver Transplantation From Donors With HIV: Impact on Opportunistic Infections, Cancer, and Long-Term Outcomes (Expanding HOPE Liver) (RTB-024)
Plain-language title
Liver transplants from donors with HIV in adults who also have HIVGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 13 November 2026.
Record updated
21 August 2026