Need for anti-rejection drugs in transplant recipients

[Northerner]

For decades, immunologists have been trying to train the transplant recipient's immune system to accept transplanted cells and organs without the long-term use of anti-rejection drugs. New University of Minnesota preclinical research shows that this is now possible.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School's Department of Surgery and Schulze Diabetes Institute, collaborating with colleagues at Northwestern University, have maintained long-term survival and function of pancreatic islet transplants despite complete discontinuation of all anti-rejection drugs on day 21 after the transplant. This study was performed in a stringent preclinical transplant setting in nonhuman primates, one step away from humans.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190805101142.htm

 

[nonethewiser]

One step away from humans, imagine the final road will be long and difficult for the researchers to travel, still a glimmer of hope.

 

[mikeyB]

I disagree, nonethewiser. It’s only a small jump from nonhuman to human primates. Nowhere near the gap between humans and mice. So things may happen quicker than you might expect.🙂