Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Immunobiology of transplantation: impact on targets for large and small molecules.

Azimzadeh AM, Lees JR, Ding Y, Bromberg JS

Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Organ transplantation is the preferred method of treatment for many forms of end-stage organ failure. However, immunosuppressive drugs that are used to avoid rejection can result in numerous undesirable effects (infection, malignancy, hypertension, diabetes, and accelerated arteriosclerosis). Moreover, they are not effective at preventing chronic rejection resulting in late graft loss. This review summarizes the fundamental concepts underlying the rejection of solid-organ allografts with the aim of highlighting potential new targets for therapeutics. Future improvement will depend on new therapeutic moieties, including biologics, to target various pathways of both the innate and adaptive arms of immunity. Results from some of the most recent clinical trials in transplantation and emerging new therapies are also discussed.

Published 6 September 2011 in Clin Pharmacol Ther, 90(2): 229-42.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Organ Transplantation published 2 September 2011:

Defining the impaction frequency and threshold force required for femoral impaction grafting in revision hip arthroplasty. A human cadaveric mechanical study.   Acta Orthop, 82(4): 433-7.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Organ Transplantation published 31 August 2011:

An intervention fidelity framework for technology-based behavioral interventions.   Nurs Res, 60(5): 340-7.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

Fibrofatty changes in failed pediatric cardiac allografts.   Pediatr Dev Pathol, 14(3): 194-7.

The pathogenesis of right ventricular fibrofatty changes can be broadly divided into genetic or acquired. The genetic cause is termed arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium, and represents an underdiagnosed cardiac entity leading to syncope, recurrent ventricular tachycardias, heart failure, and sudden death. Our study demonstrates that fibrofatty changes can also be seen in pediatric ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Organ Transplantation published 30 August 2011:

Surgical treatment of advanced heart failure: alternatives to heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory assist devices.   Prog Cardiovasc Dis, 54(2): 115-31.

Although orthotopic heart transplantation is the gold standard for definitive surgical treatment of end-stage heart failure, other operative therapies exist for dealing with severe systolic left ventricular dysfunction. The choice of surgical intervention depends on the etiology and functional characteristics of the patient's ventricular dysfunction. In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, surgical revascularization improves survival. Patients with mitral regurgitation experience significant ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Organ Transplantation published 26 August 2011:

En bloc kidney transplantation from pediatric donors: comparable outcomes with living donor kidney transplantation.   Transplantation, 92(5): 564-9.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on the risk of infectious complications after kidney transplantation: data from the RESITRA/REIPI cohort.   Transplantation, 92(5): 543-9.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

HLA antibody specification using single-antigen beads--a technical solution for the prozone effect.   Transplantation, 92(5): 510-5.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

Outcomes in patients with symptomatic cerebrovascular disease undergoing heart transplantation.   J Am Coll Cardiol, 58(10): 1036-41.

[Abstract] [Full-text]

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