Organ transplantation--how much of the promise has been realized?
Since the introduction of organ transplantation into medical practice, progress and optimism have been abundant. Improvements in immunosuppressive drugs and ancillary care have led to outstanding short-term (1--3-year) patient and graft survival rates. This success is mitigated by several problems, including poor long-term (>5-year) graft survival rates, the need for continual immunosuppressive medication and the discrepancy between the demand for organs and the supply. Developing methods to induce transplant tolerance, as a means to improve graft outcomes and eliminate the requirement for immunosuppression, and expanding the pool of organs for transplantation are the major challenges of the field.
Lechler
Robert I
RI
Guy's King's and St. Thomas's Medical School, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 9RT, UK.
Sykes
Megan
M
Thomson
Angus W
AW
Turka
Laurence A
LA
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D019737:Transplants / Q000600:supply & distribution
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents