title: Immunosuppression for islet transplantation.
abstract: The development by the Edmonton group of a sirolimus-based, steroid-free, low-tacrolimus regimen is a significant breakthrough that allows the rate of insulin independence after islet transplantation to increase from 13% to 80% at 1 year; however, the rate is reduced to 50% at 3 years, attributed to prolonged tacrolimus exposure. Recently, immunosuppression agents such as cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and the novel agent FTY 720 have been used instead of tacrolimus. Lymphocyte-depleting antibodies such as anti-thymocyte globulin, alemtuzumab, and hOKT3gamma 1 (ala, ala) have been launched, and a costimulatory blockade of anti-CD40 monoclonal antibodies and CTLA4-Ig will be attempted in the near future. Moreover, the potential of a novel immunosuppressing peptide could now be realized using new technology called the protein transduction system. In this review, we show some of the most recent contributions to the advancement of knowledge in this field.
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. noguchih@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors: Hirofumi
authors: H
authors: Noguchi
authors: Shinichi
authors: S
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Matsushita
authors: Naoya
authors: N
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Tanaka
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Matsui
authors: Noriaki
authors: N
authors: Tanaka