title: Prevention of chronic allograft rejection by Vitamin D receptor agonists.
abstract: While immunosuppressive drugs now permit a good control of acute allograft rejection, chronic rejection remains an important unmet medical problem. We propose that Vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonists, secosteroid hormones that control cell proliferation and differentiation and exert immunoregulatory activities, in addition to regulate calcium and bone metabolism, have the potential to contribute to the management of chronic allograft rejection. Recent advances in understanding the immunomodulatory and growth-regulating properties of VDR agonists indicate the clinical applicability of these hormones in transplantation, with the aim of facilitating tolerance induction and preventing chronic graft rejection.
authors.affiliation: BioXell, Via Olgettina 58, I-20132 Milan, Italy. luciano.adorini@bioxell.com
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adorini
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amuchastegui
authors.forename: Kenn C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Daniel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000819:agonists* / Q000276:immunology; D012632:Secosteroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D012632:Secosteroids