title: Fundamental immunology of skin transplantation and key strategies for tolerance induction.
abstract: Transplantation of allogeneic or xenogeneic skin grafts can evoke strong immune responses that lead to acute rejection of the graft tissues. In this process, donor-derived dendritic cells play crucial roles in the triggering of such immune responses. Both the innate and acquired host immune systems participate in graft rejection. At present, the rejection of skin grafts cannot be well-controlled by ordinary systemic immunosuppression therapy. Although several strategies for the long-term survival of allogeneic or xenogeneic skin grafts have been demonstrated in animal models, the induction of long-term tolerance to skin grafts is still a great challenge in clinical settings. In this article, we review the progress in the understanding of immune responses to skin grafts and discuss the possible methods that can decrease the immunogenicity of graft tissues and improve the survival of skin grafts, especially those included in preoperative pre-treatments.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Junyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Gaoxing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D016238:Cytapheresis; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014181:Transplantation Immunology / Q000187:drug effects; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens; D009844:Oligosaccharides