title: Transplantation tolerance: mechanisms and strategies?
abstract: The goal of transplantation is to induce tolerance to the transplanted tissue. We believe that this will only be possible by exploring strategies normally used to endure and maintain self-tolerance. Tolerance can be defined as a state where the immune system does not respond to a specific antigen. This is in sharp contrast with immunosuppression, which decreases the immune response to a myriad of antigens and requires continued medication. T cells play an essential role in the immune response to alloantigens, because animals devoid of T cells do not reject transplanted organs. In this article we will focus on the mechanism of T cell tolerance and how the immune system may be manipulated to achieve tolerance to alloantigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6100, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gudmundsdottir
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Turka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007519:Isoantigens