title: Composite tissue allografting (CTA).
abstract: Composite tissue allografting (CTA) is a relatively new term that appears with increased frequency in the medical and surgical literature. The recent successful allografts, or homotransplantations, of hands has sparked a resurgence of research, both experimental and clinical. Plastic surgeons have long been interested--particularly in the field of skin grafts for extensive burns and wounds--but have been replaced by the organ transplant teams and immunogeneticists. The skin, one of the most strongly antigenic organs, has required such high levels of immunosuppressive drugs to date, that elective transplants of skin and other composite tissues have received little attention.
authors.affiliation: The Buncke Clinic, California Pacific Medical Center, Davies Campus, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Harry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Buncke
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lowenberg
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quatra
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Buncke
authors.forename: Rudolf F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Buntic
authors.forename: Darrell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome