Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) discovered that priming the patient’s immune system with donor cells before liver transplantation allows the use of fewer immunosuppressive drugs. The research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Liver transplantation requires taking immune-suppressing medications to prevent organ rejection. These drugs reduce the quality of life and increase the risk of many diseases, from infections to cancer. In the new study, scientists tested an experimental approach.
Several weeks before the planned transplant, donors provided blood samples from which researchers isolated monocytes (a type of white blood cell). These were then transformed in the laboratory into dendritic cells, which play a central role in activating the immune system. It was administered to 13 recipients one week before partial liver transplantation.
An analysis a year later found that they had fewer immune cells, associated with an increased risk of organ transplant rejection. The scientists believe their approach will reduce the amount of immunosuppressant medication required after transplantation, thus reducing health risks for patients.
A food additive formerly derived from potato starch developed Survival of patients after bone marrow transplantation.