The Banff 2022 Kidney Meeting Work Plan: Data-driven refinement of the Banff Classification for renal allografts.
The XVIth Banff Meeting (2022) produced a work plan that, while making no formal changes to the kidney allograft classification, consolidated the role of Banff Working Groups in setting the research agenda and disseminating data on rejection diagnostics.
Background
The Banff Classification has been the international consensus standard for interpreting kidney allograft biopsies since 1991, with biennial meetings refining the criteria for T cell-mediated and antibody-mediated rejection. The XVIth meeting was held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from September 19 to 23, 2022, as a joint meeting with the Canadian Society of Transplantation, marking the 30th anniversary of the classification.
Key recommendations
Beyond the central focus on microvascular inflammation and biopsy-based transcript analysis, dedicated sessions addressed T cell-mediated rejection, activity and chronicity indices, digital pathology, xenotransplantation, clinical trials, and surrogate endpoints. The work plan emphasized the role of Banff Working Groups in framing unanswered questions and coordinating investigations to address them, rather than imposing immediate classification changes.
Clinical implications
Although the sessions did not lead to changes in the classification itself, the data-driven work plan structures how future evidence will be gathered and incorporated into allograft diagnostics. This positions the Banff process to evolve toward integrating molecular and digital tools while maintaining its long-standing consensus methodology for standardizing rejection diagnosis in practice and clinical trials.
Category
Transplant
Source
Am J Transplant
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