When he joined Gift of Hope in 2007, the histocompatibility and immunogenetics laboratory had been testing donors and patients with the same method since the 1960s: a series of time-consuming steps yielding results that were not always accurate. Donors had to be screened for infectious diseases, genetically analyzed, and cross matched with patients in the organ transplant waiting list. The whole process took about 16 hours— precious time when the viability of organs is considered.
Jaramillo introduced Gift of Hope to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virtual cross matching technology. PCR is used to screen a particular region of chromosome 6, where the genes of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system are found. HLA must match between donor and recipient during a transplant, or the immune system will produce antibodies against the graft, causing organ rejection. Virtual cross matching uses a computer to instantly predict patients’ compatibility with donors, based on the results of the PCR, and match them. Now in fewer than six hours, Jaramillo and his team can determine donors’ HLA profiles and cross match them accurately against potential recipients in the organ waiting lists—a breakthrough that is helping broaden the footprint of viable organs waiting to be donated but formerly constrained by preservation limits.