title: Current state of renal transplant immunosuppression: Present and future.
abstract: For kidney transplant recipients, immunosuppression commonly consists of combination treatment with a calcineurin inhibitor, an antiproliferative agent and a corticosteroid. Many medical centers use a sequential immunosuppression regimen where an induction agent, either an anti-thymocyte globulin or interleukin-2 receptor antibody, is given at the time of transplantation to prevent early acute rejection which is then followed by a triple immunosuppressive maintenance regimen. Very low rejection rates have been achieved at many transplant centers using combinations of these agents in a variety of protocols. Yet, a large number of recipients suffer chronic allograft injury and adverse events associated with drug therapy. Regimens designed to limit or eliminate calcineurin inhibitors and/or corticosteroid use are actively being pursued. An ideal immunosuppressive regimen limits toxicity and prolongs the functional life of the graft. This article contains a critical analysis of clinical data on currently available immunosuppressive strategies and an overview of therapeutic moieties in development.
authors.affiliation: Hari Varun Kalluri, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States.
authors.forename: Hari Varun
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Kalluri
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hardinger
keywords: Immunosuppression; Investigational agents; Renal/ kidney transplant; Review