Abstract:

This review discusses immunotoxins as they apply to organ transplantation and as they have been tested in preclinical studies in primate renal allograft models. The scientific basis of immunotoxin construction and the clinical implications of T-lymphocyte depletion using immunotoxin are discussed. The benefits as well as the disadvantages of immunotoxin technology are reviewed in the context of preclinical use and potential clinical application in the field of organ transplantation. The author's perspectíve is of a clinical organ transplant surgeon, who has an interest in reducing reliance on long-term immunosuppressive therapy as it is currently practiced and with the hope of seeing patients accept their organ and tissue transplants in the absence of expensive and potentially hazardous drugs.

Authors:

Stuart J. Knechtle, M.D., FACS, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wis.

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