title: Review of the early diagnoses and assessment of rejection in vascularized composite allotransplantation.
abstract: The emerging field of vascular composite allotransplantation (VCA) has become a clinical reality. Building upon cutting edge understandings of transplant surgery and immunology, complex grafts such as hands and faces can now be transplanted with success. Many of the challenges that have historically been limiting factors in transplantation, such as rejection and the morbidity of immunosuppression, remain challenges in VCA. Because of the accessibility of most VCA grafts, and the highly immunogenic nature of the skin in particular, VCA has become the focal point for cross-disciplinary approaches to developing novel approaches for some of the most challenging immunological problems in transplantation, particularly the early diagnoses and assessment of rejection. This paper provides a historically oriented introduction to the field of organ transplantation and the evolution of VCA.
authors: Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Starzl
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Brandacher
authors: W P Andrew
authors: WP
authors: Lee
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Carbonell
authors: Wensheng
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Jonas
authors: J
authors: Schnider
authors: Vijay
authors: V
authors: Gorantla
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schneeberger
authors: Xin Xiao
authors: XX
authors: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000276:immunology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology*