Dr. Kapur's main areas of research include translational research and clinical trials on new immune protocols for kidney transplant patients, reduction in maintenance immunosuppression for kidney transplant recipients, investigational agents for the prevention or reduction in delayed graft function, islet cell research, and the development of molecular techniques to monitor and decrease rejection of transplanted organs. Dr. Kapur currently has over 1,000 patients who are maintained on a steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression protocol. As an extension of the steroid-free maintenance regimen, Dr. Kapur is the principal investigator of a research study to further reduce patients' exposure to immunosuppression, specifically tacrolimus, an agent with known toxic effects on the transplanted kidney.

Dr. Kapur worked with Dr. Manikkam Suthanthiran of NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell in the development of a non-invasive test utilizing molecular signatures to more accurately predict organ rejection before it happens. This unique test provides an opportunity for individualized treatment of kidney transplant patients. NYP/Weill Cornell researchers believe that these urine biomarkers may allow the transplant community to predict graft function, rather than having to rely on the traditional, invasive needle biopsy, which carries with it the potential to cause further complications. Under molecular guidance, the transplant team hopes to be able to fine tune medications for patients, minimizing their exposure to immunosuppression, which over a lifetime, can damage the transplanted organ. Based on these tests developed at NYP/Weill Cornell, a NIH-sponsored multi-center study to further test the sensitivity and specificity of measuring RNA (mRNA) for key immune cell regulators in renal transplant patients has been completed, and will hopefully provide transplant physicians with tools to provide a more complete appraisal of graft function and risk of organ rejection.

CLINICAL TRIALS
Controlled, Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Phase I/II, Dose-Escalation Study of the Safety, PK, and Clinical Activity of I5NP for Prophylaxis of Delayed Graft Function in Patients Undergoing Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation. Sponsored by Quark Pharmaceutical, Inc. Principal Investigator. October 2010 – present

Special Access for the Use of Voclosporin for Kidney Transplantation. Investigator-initiated clinical trial. Principal Investigator. 2009 – present

Thymoglobulin Induction Therapy with Minimal Immunosuppression and Evaluation of Allograft Status by Biopsy and mRNA Profiles (TIMELY Study). Investigator-initiated clinical trial. Principal Investigator. October 2008 – present

A Phase 2, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel Group, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Alefacept in de novo Kidney Transplant Recipients. Sponsored by Astellas Pharma, US. Principal Investigator. July 2008 – present

Mycophenolic Acid Observational Renal Transplant Program (A Phase IV, Non-Interventional, Multi-Center, Open-Label, Prospective, Observational Study of the Safety, Effectiveness, and Tolerability of Immunosuppressive Regimens using Mycophenolic Acid to Treat de Novo Renal Transplant Patients in Routine Clinical Practice. Sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Principal Investigator. June 2008 – present

Renal Allograft Tolerance Through Mixed Chimerism. Sponsored by the Immune Tolerance Network (NIH/NIAID).Co-investigator.

Noninvasive Diagnosis of Renal Allograft Rejection by mRNA Profiling (CTOT-04). Sponsored by NIH/NIAID.Co-investigator.

Correlation of Donor Proinflammatory mRNA Profiles with Early Outcomes of Thoracic and Abdominal Transplantation (CTOT-03). Sponsored by NIH/NIAID. Co-investigator.

A Phase 2, Two-Part Study of the Safety and Tolerability of Diannexin in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Sponsored by Alavita Pharmaceuticals. Principal Investigator. 2008 - 2010

A Phase IV, Randomized, Open-Label, Comparative, Multicenter Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Induction Agents Alemtuzumab (Campath 1H®), Basiliximab (Simulect ®) or Rabbit Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (Thymoglobulin®) in Combination with Tacrolimus (Prograf®), Mycophenolate Mofetil (Cellcept®) and a Rapid Steroid Withdrawal in Renal Transplant Recipients.& Sponsored by Astellas Pharma, US. 2005 - 2009

A Phase IIB, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label, Concentration Controlled, Safety Study of ISA247 and Tacrolimus (Prograf®) in DENOVO Renal Transplant Patients. Sponsored by Isotechnika, Inc. 2005 - 2009

Thymoglobulin Antibody Immunosuppression in Living Donor Recipients (TAILOR Registry). Sponsored by Sangstat and UNOS. 2003 - 2009

Impact of Ethnicity, Transplant Type, Immunologic Risk, and Other Factors on Outcomes Under Steroid-Sparing Immunosuppression with Thymoglobulin Induction and Tacrolimus-Based Maintenance Therapy.& Sponsored by Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. 2004-2008

A Phase II, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel Group, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Prograf/FK778 and Prograf/MMF in de novo Kidney Transplant Recipients. Sponsored by Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. 2003-2007

A prospective, randomized, multicenter, double-blind study of early corticosteroid cessation vs. long-term maintenance corticosteroid therapy with induction therapy, Prograf and Cellcept in primary renal transplant recipients. Sponsored by Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc. 2002-2008

A Randomized Comparative Trial of the Effect of Antilymphocyte Induction on Tacrolimus Plus Mycophenolate Mofetil Maintenance Immunosuppression After Simultaneous Kidney Pancreas Transplantation. Sponsored by Fujisawa Healthcare Corp. 1999-2000