Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alex L. Pigot
Summary: The impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity vary across species, and a new study reveals that the intrinsic species properties underlying urban tolerance vary globally based on environmental context. This has significant implications for the conservation of biodiversity in our rapidly urbanising world.
Review
Immunology
Bruce M. Hall, Nirupama D. Verma, Giang T. Tran, Suzanne J. Hodgkinson
Summary: This article reviews the mechanisms of how allogeneic transplanted tissue is not rejected and how tolerance is induced, focusing on the Clonal Deletion theory, operational tolerance, and alloantigen specific inhibitory T cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Miguel I. Dorante, Alice T. Wang, Branislav Kollar, Bridget J. Perry, Mustafa G. Ertosun, Andrew J. Lindford, Emma-Lotta Kiukas, Oemer Oezkan, Oezlenen Oezkan, Patrik Lassus, Bohdan Pomahac
Summary: Software-based analysis with FaceReader can be used to assess motor function restoration after face transplant, and international collaboration strengthens the reliability of outcome data.
PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Ramon M. Rodriguez, Maria P. Hernandez-Fuentes, Viviana Corte-Iglesias, Maria Laura Saiz, Juan Jose Lozano, Ana R. Cortazar, Isabel Mendizabal, Maria Luisa Suarez-Fernandez, Eliecer Coto, Antonio Lopez-Vazquez, Carmen Diaz-Corte, Ana M. Aransay, Carlos Lopez-Larrea, Beatriz Suarez-Alvarez
Summary: Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in kidney transplant recipients revealed distinct methylation signatures associated with operational tolerance and chronic rejection. Tolerance was linked to demethylation in immune function genes, while rejection was associated with intracellular signaling and ubiquitination pathways. Analysis of methylation patterns in tolerant patients showed similarities with those receiving low doses of steroids, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism for tolerance.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nicholas C. Allen, Andrew J. Martin, Victoria A. Snaidr, Renee Eggins, Alvin H. Chong, Pablo Fernandez-Penas, Douglas Gin, Shireen Sidhu, Vanessa L. Paddon, Leith A. Banney, Adrian Lim, Edward Upjohn, Helmut Schaider, Aparna D. Ganhewa, Jennifer Nguyen, Catriona A. McKenzie, Saurabh Prakash, Catriona McLean, Alistair Lochhead, Jan Ibbetson, Andrew Dettrick, Anthony Landgren, Katherine J. Allnutt, Clare Allison, Rachael B. Davenport, Blake P. Mumford, Brittany Wong, Brendan Stagg, Alexander Tedman, Hannah Gribbin, Harrison A. Edwards, Nicholas De Rosa, Thomas Stewart, Brent J. Doolan, Yonatan Kok, Kate Simpson, Zhi M. Low, Tom Kovitwanichkanont, Richard A. Scolyer, Haryana M. Dhillon, Janette L. Vardy, Steven J. Chadban, David G. Bowen, Andrew C. Chen, Diona L. Damian
Summary: Immunosuppressed organ-transplant recipients have a higher incidence and mortality from skin cancer. Nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, has shown potential in preventing skin cancers. However, a placebo-controlled trial found that oral nicotinamide therapy did not reduce the number of keratinocyte cancers or actinic keratoses in immunosuppressed solid-organ transplant recipients.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Samin Abbaszadeh, Vahideh Nosrati-Siahmazgi, Kiyan Musaie, Saman Rezaei, Mostafa Qahremani, Bo Xiao, Helder A. Santos, Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi
Summary: Novel transplantation techniques are being developed to preserve the function of impaired tissues or organs. However, current technologies face challenges such as graft rejection by the immune system and the need for long-term immunosuppression. Thus, the development of biomaterial-based immunoengineering strategies has gained attention as a potential solution.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Susumu Eguchi
Summary: Immunosuppression is crucial after organ transplantation, but long-term use can lead to adverse effects. Achieving immunologic tolerance is the ultimate goal, with the liver being recognized as a tolerogenic organ. Various methods, including elective weaning of immunosuppression and cell therapy, have been introduced to induce immunologic tolerance in clinical liver transplantation.
JOURNAL OF HEPATO-BILIARY-PANCREATIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Fadi Issa, Samuel Strober, Joseph R. Leventhal, Tatsuo Kawai, Dixon B. Kaufman, Josh Levitsky, Megan Sykes, Valeria Mas, Kathryn J. Wood, Nancy Bridges, Lisbeth A. Welniak, Sindhu Chandran, Joren C. Madsen, Peter Nickerson, Anthony J. Demetris, Fadi G. Lakkis, Angus W. Thomson
Summary: The International Workshop on Clinical Transplant Tolerance focuses on the progress of studies involving immunosuppression minimization or withdrawal in solid organ transplantation. The latest workshop showcased clinical trials utilizing donor or recipient cell therapy in combination with organ transplantation to minimize or withdraw immunosuppressive drugs. Additionally, mechanisms of tolerance and potential predictors/biomarkers were discussed, as well as strategies to enhance safety and improve patient selection/risk stratification for clinical trials in hematopoietic cell transplantation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Esther Bernaldo-de-Quiros, Manuela Camino, Marta Martinez-Bonet, Juan Miguel Gil-Jaurena, Nuria Gil, Diana Hernandez-Florez, Maria Eugenia Fernandez-Santos, Laura Butragueno, I. Esme Dijke, Megan K. Levings, Lori J. West, Marjorie Pion, Rafael Correa-Rocha
Summary: This study developed a new approach to obtain large quantities of high-purity Tregs from routine surgeries, which could be used for cellular therapy to prevent transplant rejection. The initial results of the clinical trial showed that the administration of thyTregs in infants undergoing heart transplantation had no adverse effects and maintained a stable Treg frequency in the peripheral blood.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Aaron M. Delman, Al-Faraaz Kassam, Kevin M. Turner, Allison M. Ammann, Caroline Lynch, Mackenzie C. Morris, Dennis M. Vaysburg, Alexander R. Cortez, Ralph C. Quillin
Summary: This study quantified the high incidence of attrition among early-career abdominal transplant surgeons and found associations with surgeon-specific case volumes, case mix, and worse recipient outcomes. The findings revealed a high attrition rate among early-career abdominal transplant surgeons, who performed fewer transplants, had a smaller proportion of their center's volume, and experienced worse recipient outcomes.
Article
Surgery
Julian Singer, Leyla J. Aouad, Kate Wyburn, David M. Gracey, Tracey Ying, Steven J. Chadban
Summary: The study suggests that identifying high-risk patients prior to kidney transplantation through pre-transplant OGTT may help reduce the risk of post-transplant NODAT. Pre-transplant dysglycaemia is associated with age, BMI, and peritoneal dialysis. Pre-transplant IGT is strongly associated with the development of post-transplant NODAT.
TRANSPLANT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Marcos Iglesias, Daniel C. Brennan, Christian P. Larsen, Giorgio Raimondi
Summary: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI)-based therapy has been the standard treatment for preventing organ transplant rejection, but long-term use leads to significant side effects. Costimulation Blockade (CoB) therapy, which interrupts T cell costimulatory signals, has shown potential for better management of transplant recipients compared to CNI-based therapy. CTLA4-Ig, a biologic therapy, has been the most successful approach in this field. However, monotherapy with CTLA4-Ig is insufficient for inducing long-term allograft acceptance.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Ryosuke Nakano, Lillian M. Tran, David A. Geller, Camila Macedo, Diana M. Metes, Angus W. Thomson
Summary: Liver allograft recipients are more likely to develop transplantation tolerance, with liver interstitial dendritic cells playing pivotal roles. Interstitial liver DCs, recruited in situ or derived from circulating precursors, are involved in regulating ischemia/reperfusion injury and anti-donor immunity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Aurelie Moreau, Delphine Kervella, Laurence Bouchet-Delbos, Cecile Braudeau, Soraya Saiagh, Pierrick Guerif, Sophie Limou, Anne Moreau, Sylvain Bercegeay, Mathias Streitz, Birgit Sawitzki, Ben James, Paul N. Harden, David Game, Qizhi Tang, James F. Markmann, Ian S. D. Roberts, Edward K. Geissler, Brigitte Dreno, Regis Josien, Maria-Cristina Cuturi, Gilles Blancho
Summary: Survival rates of kidney transplant patients are affected by chronic rejection and side effects of immunosuppressive drugs. Cell-based immunotherapy using tolerogenic dendritic cells has shown promise in reducing general immunosuppression. A phase I clinical trial using human autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells in kidney transplantation has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of this approach in improving graft survival.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Xiaojie Gan, Jian Gu, Zheng Ju, Ling Lu
Summary: This article reviews the role of immune cells in organ transplant rejection and organ transplant tolerance, as well as introduces novel cell therapies currently under clinical trials.