Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Solid Organ Transplantation

Solid organ transplantation provides life saving therapy for patients with end stage organ disease. In order that the transplanted organ survive, the recipient must take a lifelong cocktail of immunosuppressive medications that increase the risk for infections, malignancies and drug toxicities. Data from many animal studies have shown that recipients can be made tolerant of their transplanted organ by infusing stem cells, particularly hematopoietic stem cells, prior to the transplant. The animal data have been translated into humans and now several clinical trials have demonstrated that infusion of hematopoietic stem cells, along with specialized conditioning regimens, can permit solid organ allograft survival without immunosuppressive medications.
Source: Transplantation Reviews - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Source Type: research