Establishing immunological tolerance through the induction of molecular chimerism.
One of the major goals of transplantation biology is to overcome transplant rejection without the need for life-long immunosuppression. Over the last several years, fundamental advances in our understanding of the immune response to allogeneic and xenogeneic antigens have stimulated a great deal of interest in the possibility of using gene therapy approaches to overcome the host response leading to transplant rejection while alleviating the need for non-specific immunosuppression. Here, we review recent progress in the field on the use of gene therapy to induce transplantation tolerance to donor organs and tissues.
Bagley
Jessamyn
J
Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 149-5210 13th St., Boston, MA 02129, USA.
Bracy
Jennifer L
JL
Tian
Chaouri
C
Kang
Eun-Suk
ES
Iacomini
John
J
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D018183:Transplantation Chimera / Q000276:immunology*